I Heart Faces--A Slice of Life

This week’s theme at i heart faces is a photojournalistic one, with the theme of a “slice of life.” Our life was turned upside down when our then 11yr old son was diagnosed with a very rare salivary gland cancer last August. After 2 surgeries to remove the tumor and 19 lymph nodes and a followup scan last month, he remains cancer free. Prognosis is good and we remain hopeful that this will never reoccur.

This photo was taken after his surgery at MD Anderson in Houston. We were discharged to the hotel for a few days before we headed home to Louisiana. Even though Trace and his sisters are all 5 yrs apart,they are extremely close, even more so after this diagnosis. They were all laid up in the bed watching tv in between his awake and sleepy times. Kate has her arm wrapped over him and Kelsi is probably checking out how gross his incision was, it had bled a little with all the movement from discharge. You can see how swollen his face was on that right side.

So, that is our slice of life...learning to cope when your child is diagnosed with cancer.

DID YOU KNOW THAT EVERY SINGLE DAY APPROXIMATELY 46 CHILDREN  ARE DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER AND 7 CHILDREN DIE FROM A CHILDHOOD CANCER. YOU DO NOW!!

Head over to i heart faces for some awesome photojournalistic entries.

MD Anderson--Trip #6--3 month post-op appointment

Well, it's been 3 months since Trace's last appointment at MD Anderson, 4 months since his surgery and time for his first set of post-op scans.

Time to see if this cancer is coming back or has spread. I am majorly stressed out....worried to death that it may have started growing again either in the same area or a new spot.

 Trace's Bag/Binder with Medical Records

We load up and head west...along I-10...along what is getting to be a very familiar path. Pass Coushatta Casino in Kinder where we enjoy our Gary Allan concerts...through Lake Charles where Katie lives and attends McNeese State University....stopping at the Texas Welcome Center for a potty break and walk on the raised wooden walkways through a swamp...passing through Winnie, Beaumont and entering the huge city of Houston...passing the Budweiser Plant, The Toyota Center, and the Convention Center before making our way past the park and zoo into the Medical Center. We are getting to know our way around that area of town pretty well....getting in and out of town pretty efficiently.

We get checked in to the hotel then head over to MD Anderson for tests and scans. Blood work first, then on to another floor for the CT scan. Dad does the blood work and I go with for the scan. Trace is very brave as always...a little apprehensive for the IV, but once it's done, he's good. They always get it on the 1st stick!!

 The IV

For the CT scan, they had to use some weights on his shoulders and straps for him to grip that went down around his feet. Both to keep his shoulders down and straighten the neck area for a good scan. He said it was hard to keep holding the strap and stay very still for the scan, but he did a good job.

 

 The scans

He doesn't look too happy, but he was good....very anxious and a little scared.

He got finished with his tests and we grabbed some food to take back to the hotel. We were all tired after traveling 4hrs to get to the hospital and then 4 hours in the hospital. Time to force fluids to get all that contrast out. We get some ice cream before bed. 

We all get up around 9 and just hang around the hotel until it's time to checkout and head back to the hospital for his appointment with Dr. Lai at 12:30. All the tests are good!! Still cancer FREEEEEE!! Incision is healing well and come back in 3 months!! YAY!!

We hit the road back to Louisiana. :)