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Friday, September 24, 2010

Inpatient Chemotherapy

Carl has been getting inpatient Chemotherapy this week at Froedtert Hospital, from Monday September 20, 2010 to Friday, September 24, 2010. I am going to pick him up from the hospital shortly.

I am finding it curious how after only several months, what seems absurd has become remarkably routine - It's another inpatient chemotherapy session, with the children in school and me single parenting them. It's like Carl is on a business trip instead of getting chemotherapy.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

First Day of School and chemo.

On Tuesday, August 31, 2010, Carl started a five day cycle of inpatient chemotherapy. The children and I visited him for "Dinner at Froedtert".

On Wednesday, September 1, 2010 the children headed off to their first day of school. I visited Carl at Froedtert, and Carl and I started a 1000 piece puzzle. The children came home to homemade cookies, made in advance. Anthony stayed after school at Homestead for a drama club meeting - already busy!

On Thursday, September 2, 2010 Carl was doing pretty well. Anthony stayed after school at Homestead to audition for a part in the school play. I took Nathan to a parent meeting at Steffen school that night.

On Friday, September 3, 2010 Carl pretty much was just looking forward to going home.

On Saturday, September 4, 2010 I picked up Carl from the hospital around 4 in the afternoon. We didn't finish the puzzle, but Carl left anyway.

On Sunday, September 5, 2010, we went to church and then I took Carl back to the hospital for a neulasta shot.

On Monday, September 6, 2010, we celebrated Memorial Day - The children had no school and our family went to a cookout at Carl's sister Heidi's house.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, September 7-8, 2010 our family got to get up together, get children out to school, and get Carl off to work, then later home for dinner and homework. On Wednesday we ate at Olive Garden just to celebrate - and because the Mequon Public schools have no school on Thursday!

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[ I wrote this post on September 9, 2010; and then never published it until today, Oct 15, 2010. I couldn't think of anything fun or inspirational to add to it, and it seemed sort of boring. But I guess it notes that 1st week of school - kids busy, Carl in the hospital, etc. Carl did 2 weeks of inpatient chemotherapy in September, making the 2010 school year start the strangest ever. I'm not sure how many people will even see this post - it's out of order and I don't know how that effects RSS feeds, etc. But I decided now to post it anyway. ]



Wednesday, September 1, 2010

School Starts...

Summer rushed by. In mid-August I registered the four children for the free public school (at great expense.) The rest of August raced past, and Wednesday, September 1, 2010 was the first day of school.

Tom is a sophmore a Homestead High School,
Anthony is a freshman at Homestead High School,
Nathan is in 7th grade at Steffen Middle School, and
Miranda is in 6th grade at Steffen Middle School.

On Tuesday, August 31, 2010, Carl started a five day cycle of inpatient chemotherapy at Froedtert Hospital. He will be getting chemotherapy featuring the drugs Adriomycin & ifosomide. This will be Carl's 5th cycle of chemotherapy with Adriomycin, and there is typically a limit of six cycles of Adriomycin.

We have gotten the good feedback that Carl's sarcoma is responding well to the Adriomycin. This is a good thing. Some sarcoma's don't respond to anything. The tumor in Carl's leg now seems to be "metabolically inactive", and has shrunk somewhat. I am hoping that it stays that way, and shrinks even more.

I don't have the time to describe what getting four children off to school with a husband in the hospital is like, or any emotional impact, but the start of school was surprisingly calm. Carl bought and got the children's school supplies organised, I registered the children and organised clothing and schedules, and the children seem more mature and organised.

We will see how the rest of the week goes.