Sorry it has been a while since the last update, but we have been in a whirlwind for the last couple of weeks. Caleb had 5 days of chemo last week, but we did it differently this time. He did the entire week of chemo outpatient. It was not the most comfortable area for spending 6-7 hours of your day, but it was SO nice to sleep in our own bed every night (well, Mom’s beds). Caleb did extremely well with nausea last week, only getting sick 2-3 times.
Over the last few months while getting treatment, we have met a lot of people and see a lot of people in clinic that we had not met. The clinic puts on a camp in the winter at a campsite near Atlanta. They only invite 20 families. We thought about it and decided it would be good for our family to go and especially for Caleb to see that he is not abnormal or weird and there are others that are going through and have been through the same thing he is. We paid the required $20 deposit and signed up. I was a little dismayed when two weeks ago his treatment was delayed a week because of low white blood counts knowing that the delay could affect us going to the camp.
We got through Friday afternoon’s chemo and headed to Rutledge, GA. Holly had taken the day off and watched Caleb that morning while I ran errands and then we swapped out so she could go home and pack. We got there that night and they had people waiting to unload the truck. They hauled our bags off to our cabin and took us to the activities. We had a good time and met a couple of people at the campfire. We then went off to our cabin for the night.
The next morning, we had breakfast and everyone went their separate ways for activities. The kids being treated went one way, the siblings another, and Holly and I headed out to a parents get-together. It was so awesome to get to share our story and hear other stories of what people had been through. Some had completed chemo and came back to encourage us; others had only gotten the news a couple of weeks ago. It was therapeutic to get to ask questions and get advice from people that had been there.
We all had different activities that day after that. Holly was treated to a spa! She got her hair and nails done. I shot archery and watched the boys shoot the rockets they had built. Caleb also went rock wall climbing, fishing, and archery in between the rain showers. That night we went to the cabin after leaving the dance early (that was my only complaint – the DJ played two songs that were definitely not appropriate for kids; one including profanity) and since we were so exhausted, we skipped the movie (which we had just seen the week before anyway). While unwinding at the cabin, we got a knock at the door, and it was the amazing Mrs. Kym, the child Life Director that put the whole weekend together and a couple of her helpers. She handed us a $20 bill and told us that was our deposit back. I told her something was up because I knew it was more than $20 for the weekend and we never heard anything back from them about a balance. She said it was just to make sure we were going to be there – that WALMART had underwritten everything for the ENTIRE weekend! Not only did we get our money back, but also a $50 Walmart card and a nice duffel bag full of toys and stuff for the boys. So please support your local Walmart!! Overall, it was an awesome weekend and we made many new friends during those two days.
Now that I’ve gone and made this post a book, I’ll make the ending short and sweet. Caleb had one day of chemo this week, yesterday, and has two days next week. The medication he got yesterday is the one that makes him the most sick, and he has been very sick the last two days. We go back Thursday to check his counts.
Thanks so much for your love, prayers, and financial support. We could not have made it this far without the help of our wonderful friends and family that are always there for us. You guys ROCK! And we love each of you. Please continue to pray and believe for victory over this nausea from the chemo just like we got the victory in seeing that tumor burned out.
Today’s scripture – “He sent His Word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” Psalm 107:20 (That one’s for you, too, Cheri!!)