The New Plan, part two

Brian is such a little trooper. He certainly has a big helping of God's grace on him. He just handles things so well for a little four year old. That's not to say that he doesn't have his moments of total meltdown, but he is really great about all this. It's a lot for a little guy to handle.
   Last week he received his first infusion of "the new plan" and took five days of steroids. He threw up several times, had diarrhea, spit out his medicine and didn't want to take it. We noticed an increase in his emotional outbursts and a decrease in his energy level.
   Last week at his appointment we also learned that Nemours has a new procedure for chemo. Brian has to get his blood work to check his counts the day before chemo. We were told that they were wasting alot of drugs from kids with low counts (b/c if counts are low they can't receive their meds). In order to prevent wasted chemo meds we now have to get Brian's blood drawn the day before his drugs are to be prepared and administered. Sounds great for not wasting meds, but for a little four year old it means going to the hospital twice a week and getting stuck twice instead of once. It was not fun telling Brian we had to do that today. He cried and announced how scared he was. It took Mommy and two nurses to hold him still to get his blood drawn. We could have used his port but it really was easier to just draw it out of his arm. The entire experience was not pleasant. Here's a picture of Brian waiting to get his blood drawn.

We had CC today so one of our friends took Ansley and William home with them after school and then met us at ballet at 4:00. I only had Olivia with me for B's bloodwork. Olivia still naps and she was especially tired after our morning at school. Instead of trying to carry a tired Olivia and hold a scared boy that needed to be comforted, I used our double stroller that we haven't used out and about in quite some time. Maybe even more than a year. Anyway, pulling the stroller out was super exciting to Olivia and she kept buckling herself in and saying "I'm locked. I'm locked...please let me be free". She was saying it like a princess that needed to be rescued. Brian was not amused and it didn't distract him one bit.
     While we were in the car on the way to the hospital I asked Brian what I could do for him. I told him that I wanted to help him not be so scared and then tried to encourage him that we thought he was doing an awesome job being so brave and enduring what alot of people couldn't handle. He said that I could pray for him and hold him and snuggle him. (SO SWEET!) He then told Olivia she should pray for him too. So as we are leaving the hospital Brian turns to Olivia and gets onto her for her "rescue a locked princess" dramactic play. He says "OLIVIA! I told you to pray for me and you didn't!!!" She ever so sweetly responds with, "I did, in the car. Thank you God that Brian doesn't have chemo when he is five."
  We surely pray everyday that when Brian finishes this round of chemo when he is five and a half that he will be done for life with NO long term side effects.
  

On a happy note, Brian loved his happy meal toy from today's lunch.

Every little boy loves a super hero. Here is Brian and Robin. Thank you McDonalds for 20 minutes of smiles.