Famished, Focused and Forward

Today was a really good day despite the fact that it started at 5 am again. Maybe it was a good night's sleep thanks to the pillow from home Uncle Vic has brought by the night before. Whatever it was, Ollie was ravenous all morning and I could not feed him enough. Thankfully we had lots of snacks and a well stocked mini-fridge. At 8 am he also begged me to order him some pancakes and bacon. He was a total champ and navigated his food blind, but with persistence and confidence.

He napped a bit mid-morning while I talked to the Endocrinologist about his sodium level, the oncologist about the chemo plans for the rest of the week, and the palliative team about his pain management. 

When he woke he asked me to build a new Lego set. He was patient and listened so well as I did my best to give him detailed instructions and handed him pieces.

For lunch he requested McDonald's, so thanks to Skip the Dishes, his wish was my command.

He promptly chased that with ice cream.

This afternoon he had a headache, so he took some meds and slept while the VAT team came in and did his weekly PICC dressing change. Then he went for an ECG to check that his heart was okay after his heart rate issues in the ICU.

When we got back he asked the nurses if we could go to the gift shop and they said, "Sure, why not?!" So Ollie was thrilled and said we were busting out and were going to loot the gift shop (once I explained what looting actually was he quickly clarified that we'd actually pay!). He was thrilled to find 4 little Lego sets that he didn't have and since a sweet family friend had just sent him $100, we bought them all. 

When we happily went back to 4 North, we went to the playroom where Child Life Specialist, Maryse helped him to make mini pizzas (she even brought in his favourite green olives). They turned out great.

While we had waited for the pizzas to cook, we took the time to get the Candlelighters Courage Beads that Ollie has earned so far this visit. Each different bead has a meaning for procedures, trips to the OR, needles, ICU stay, chemotherapy, scary events and relapsing, etc. In the last 20 days Ollie was owed 44 beads. That is more than the 32 he had before this stay in total. So my big brave 7 year old has had 76 medical procedures or events in the last 3 months. Let the enormity of that sink in for a moment and imagine how any one of us would have reacted to that. 

I found it fitting that both his lovely home daycare provider and one of his kindergarten teachers sent me messages when they heard the news and each in her own way noted his tenacious spirit and determination as strengths they had observed during their time with him that they were certain were given to him to prepare him for this fight.

44 beads of courage for our little warrior so far this stay.

He finished off his dinner of champions tonight with what was left from his Suzy Q donut from Cristina and family. Never was a donut more enjoyed.

I was grateful for a visit from Marie-France tonight since Mario and Abby are sick with a cold and cannot come to the hospital until they are well again. 

Today was a day of I'll tries and I did its. It's a far cry from the I can'ts and I don't know hows of the last two weeks. I am beyond grateful for this day.