Well, we made it! Justin had his last chemo treatment last week and apparently he saved the worst for last. Things started out fine on Tuesday, that day's chemo was finished by about 5 pm and Justin felt great. Even ate a steak for supper! Wednesday morning, on the other hand, was an entirely different story. Justin was sicker than he has been since the first couple of treatments. I wished I could take the misery from him, but all I could do was rub his back and encourage him that this was the last time that he would ever have to endure this. He was not receptive to this 'encouragement', to say the least. He was so angry, retching over a basin; tormented by the toxins inside his body. It tore me apart to see him like this. I felt so helpless; I did the only thing I could think of. I sent out a text asking for prayer for Justin. The replies came in; people were praying for him. Within a few minutes Justin settled down, the nausea held at bay for the time being. PTL! He generally felt horrible for the rest of the day, with another particularly rough patch in the evening, but he made it through. Thursday was discharge day, and while he still felt awful, he was happy to be getting out of there.
Leaving CK5 for the final time brought a mixture of emotions for me. While I was thrilled that this was the last time we would be admitted for chemotherapy, saying goodbye to the nurses and support staff was hard. Through tears, I gave many hugs and vowed we would come back but ONLY FOR VISITS! We appreciate all of them for the kindness, compassion and support they have extended to us over the past ten months. We formed relationships and had special connections with them. One of the nurses even switched her shift so that she could be there for Justin's last chemo.
I had this idea in my head that once chemo was finished, things would finally settle down and there would be less running around to appointments and such. It seems I was wrong; for the time being anyway. This month will be a busy one. We will be at Radiation Therapy today to have a simulation CT done to get Justin lined up for his next round of radiation. We will have an Echo Cardiogram and EKG done later in the week, along with a clinic appointment at Cancer Care. Next week, we have another clinic appointment and we see the surgeon for a pre-op so Justin can have his central line removed on the 21st. Radiation will begin around that time as well, which will be daily for 10-15 days from what I understand. (Since he had several spots on his lungs when he was initially diagnosed, they need to radiate both lungs fully to ensure that they are clear.) Finally, after all of the radiation is done, Justin will then have an MRI, CT and bone scan to be sure that all of the cancer is indeed gone.
So, roughly 11 months after Justin was diagnosed we should be finished with treatment. Of course, he will be monitored very closely over the next 5 years with scans every 3 months or so to be sure that there is no relapse. What a whirlwind it has been. From day one, when we thought we would never make it this far, to now - the end of treatment, we have been through every emotion. I am so thankful to all of the people who have supported us on this journey. We have been blessed with an amazing family, wonderful friends and we cannot say enough about our medical team.
This past year has been a learning experience and a time of growth for us, both personally and as a family. Though I can't speak of how it has shaped each member of our household personally, I can say that it has tested me beyond my limits. I have always had the need to be in control of my own life and environment, and in this case I was helpless to do anything for my son. I was forced to relinquish control and trust the medical professionals and God to get us through this. I discovered that strength can be found, even when you are at your weakest. I also learned that true friends stick by you, even when you withdraw into your own fragile shell and aren't much of a friend in return; and that new friends appear out of nowhere when you didn't know they existed.
We will soon be booking plane tickets, villas, hotels and tours for Justin's dream trip to Italy. The hope is that we will leave late August or early September. It is surreal to think that we will actually be visiting this place steeped in rich history and architecture and that Justin, a 13 year old boy, chose this place as his dream. It just proves the point that I have made several times throughout this journey, that Justin is a very special young man who is wise beyond his years and I could not be more proud of him.
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