"A little child shall lead them..."

Ollie had a day of ups and downs. Mainly related to his steroids and "hanger" as he waited for his lumbar puncture this morning.

A high point was a special visit from good friends who we'll call H and E. We got special permission to have them come when they were at CHEO for an appointment at another clinic where H is being followed. H is also a brave warrior who has fought many health battles and continues to with an incredibly positive attitude. H was just what Ollie needed and he was thrilled to finally see a friend whom he could directly relate to. H and E brought gifts from their family and from the grade 2 classes at their school.

The visit and gifts really boosted his spirits and were a nice distraction. 

Ollie decided to join his school online for their assembly today. The grade 2's including his class were singing and he was eager to hear them. 

While participating, he also received the student of the month award for exemplifying the gospel value of hope. I was pretty touched that his teacher still does everything she can to make him feel part of his class this year. 

 Ollie also asked her if he could be online with them as his Valentine's for his friends were handed out. So this afternoon after his LP she made him a full participant in it and allowed friends to deliver their Valentine's for him to his bag beside the computer where friends could come and say hi if they wanted. 

Despite his outbursts the other day, when his classmates today asked him about going to Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto, he calmly and matter of factly told them he'd be going in a few months to get stem cells and was still at CHEO. I was moved to tears by the kindness his classmates exhibited and was so proud of them all. One beautiful little empathetic soul whom we'll call B excitedly told Ollie that he and his brother had both spent time having operations at Sick Kids, told him if he had any questions about where stuff was to just ask him and assured Ollie that Sick Kids has the funniest nurses. The ability that kids have to normalize things for and mentor each other constantly amazes me and I was very grateful to B and H today for their help.

Getting back to the lumbar puncture, although Ollie did have  significant anxiety before and after it, we did get great news that there are no lymphoma cells left in his cerebrospinal fluid. They do intend to continue LPs less frequently now, but will need to as part of his next rounds of chemo and to keep checking that the lymphoma does not get back in there again.

The optomologists stopped by this afternoon and said that both of Ollie's eyes are now seeing light and his pupils are reacting. This is an improvement as last week only one eye was responsive but slow. They said this is good news and they'll continue to monitor him for the next month or so. By the 6-7 week mark they should be able to tell if any of the damage is permanent.

In the meantime we are working with physiotherapists and occupational therapists to get him stronger, to learn how to get around blind and to relearn anything he used to need sight for. 

We are hoping to get at least some day passes soon, but need to have the OT visit our house first to ensure he'll be safe. Ollie scoffs at this and says he's been "born and raised" in our house and doesn't need anyone to tell him what to do there. LOL

Mario went over to be with him again tonight so I could spend more time with Abby. 

Wishing all of you a Valentine's Day filled with people you love around you!

(Honourary) Patient of the month?

We're getting there. One day at a time. One improvement at a time. One smile at a time.

The day started with a woohoo from Ollie and the VAT team who cleansed his PICC line and got the necessary blood return this morning. That meant a green light for chemo today.

Family friend Elliott brought The Cupcake Lounge cupcakes for us this morning from him, Tamara and the kids and with enough to feed the army of nurses who have worked so hard to take care of Ollie these last weeks. Pretty sure Elliott and Tamara just helped us win patient of the month around here. Seriously though, the nurses think it's nothing short of miraculous the recovery he's made in so short a time. That would certainly warrant a Patient of the Month award if there was one! LOL

Ollie spent more time sitting and standing and walking today which was great to assist Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy in doing assessments to help him starting next week. We're also getting help from the Children's Treatment Centre to find ways to make navigating at home while blind easier (whenever we get home).

Thanks to Francesca for the fun ball. Also enjoying tactile toys from Mrs. Hatoum.

Chemo went well. He felt a bit of heartburn and later a headache, but otherwise was okay. He requested a visit from Abuelita (a.k.a. Bita, Abuela, grandma) tonight, who came for pizza. The two were thrilled to see each other after weeks apart and we all had a nice visit. 

Tomorrow we have another lumbar puncture with intrathecal chemo again. Hopefully Abby and Daddy will also be well enough to visit.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend with your loved ones!