Second Round

Bring it on

Propofol again, kissing him good bye

Well last week, Tuesday, April 26, we got some good news! Danes blood count numbers had recovered enough to go home! The nurse told us that his anc number had made a big jump and that he was able to go home the next day or so. We were excited for the news but then the doctor came in and and said if he could eat a good amount and get enough fluid down they would release him that day, even better news! So after we received the final word we started packing up his room. Jamie and her sister Brittney brought lunch for us and then we started loading up the bins. It was surprising how much stuff you accumulate over a months stay, especially with such awesome family and friends!!!
The kids were all  waiting at the door when we got home that evening so excited their brother was with us.  They all tackled Dane and gave him a lot of love and well deserved attention. It felt like Christmas to have Dane home and have our whole family together. Aunt Brittney made a delicious meal and we all sat at the dinner table enjoying one anther's company.  We had a few visitors come by and delivered some homemade treats and words of encouragement.  Dane was able to be home for a week and during that time everyone was so kind, patient, and loving to one another.  Talia was so cautious of Daner's "owie" and she gave him so much love and attention.  Their relationship blossomed during the week and anything Daner said or did she would listen to. Each of the kids gave 100% of themselves to behave and getting along. It was great!  We were able to take him to the Rio 3D movie, we had the whole theater to ourselves and between Brittney, Jamie and myself we had every chair  on our row disinfected, I'm sure those seats haven't been that clean ever!  We all had a great time!  Unfortunately Brittney had to fly back home on Friday and everyone was really melancholy.  Daner said, "it was nice to have Aunt Brittney here.  She made it fun and different and  was always making us fun food on the grill."  We were happy and grateful that she was able to spend time with the family spoiling  each of the kids with hair cuts, make up lessons with the girls and good food and fun for the boys.  She gave us lots of laughs and we appreciate the sacrifice she made to leave her little kids to be with our family. 
The weekend with Daner was a whole lot trickier.  People and crowds everywhere.  So, we did some take out and browsing at a local nursery.  The kids enjoyed smelling lots of flowers and luckily, because we went towards closing, there were not many people around.  We played games and watched movies.  Some of Dane's friends came by and Dane played nerf guns, wii, and indoor basketball with them.  They had pizza and an ice cream bar and Dane looked like himself again, laughing, playing, teasing and horsing around being a typical 11 year old boy.  We couldn't help to feel sad that Dane in a few days would have to go back down the challenging road we had started a month ago and not get to be a normal 5th grade boy enjoying typical activities like school, baseball, and getting together with friends, but we were happy that he could feel good enough to get these precious opportunities for a week.  We had a great Sunday home with our family.   We stayed in pjs most of the day and ate yummy food, played with Dane, and basked in his presence. 
      Tuesday, May 3 we woke early with the kids to pick up Jamie's sister Kari and her son Ryland.  We brought them to the house and the kids played and jumped on the tramp for a few hours. Then we headed out for some Cafe Rio, blood work-blah, and laser tag.  Daner and Ryland were hilarious together and laughed and laughed all evening.  (They did do some teasing as well, I don't think Ty has missed that part of Dane at all, but I reminded him it was only for one more day and it was kinda funny to see Dane in that light again)  Later we went to a late showing at the Hollywood skybox theater, one of Dane's requests while home this week.  He and Ry actually ate nachos, sour skittles and sprite and enjoyed every bite.  Both boys decided after that it was their most favorite movie theater.  Daner was weepy and nervous the car ride home and snuggled Mom and Dad so we could help him relax and put his mind at ease.  Over the past week Dane has asked many questions and been really engaging with Jamie and I and his Aunt Britt.  He told Jamie he didn't want to die and Jamie told him she didn't feel that was God's plan for him, but for our family as well as others to learn and grow from this experience.  It has been hard for us to answer some of these heart felt questions because we don't know all the answers. My heart aches that he even has to think about questions like this so early in his life. I feel truly blessed to have the gospel and the understanding of life in times like these.

 This morning we woke early and tried to get everything organized with the day, getting 3 kids off to schools, pack the car with Dane's hospital things, take a family picture in our Team Daner shirts and get to the hospital around 9.  Thanks to Kari's help it all came together and Jamie, Daner and I headed to the hospital.  We checked in to the clinic side of the cancer wing and our great nurse Julie, put Dane's lines in right away, to get it out of the way!  She was amazing and even though Dane was super anxious, she was great and it didn't hurt him as bad as he thought it was going to.  We did paper work, signed consent forms (always a little nerve racking)  and  gave Daner his goodbye kisses as they gave him his propofal for his lumbar puncture,and bone marrow asperit.  He did wonderful and after 30 minutes in recovery they wheeled him down to a room in the clinic where we will wait for a room to open up on the floor, they told us we would probably be here until 7.  At noon, his nurse started his chemo and some nausea meds.  So far he is in good spirits and nausea free, but typically he starts to get sick 30- 60 mins after it is done, so hopefully we will be on top of the meds to avoid a lot of his discomfort.  While it was so therapeutic and rewarding to be home, it has made it really hard to come back.  Thank you all for following and supporting Dane and our family it helps all of us so much during this time.