Another Update

This update from my mother is long and thankfully detailed so I won't write anything other than my girls had a really great time at Emily's birthday and can't wait to get their bowls.

"Hello! We have been in the hospital for 36 days now and still no ANC. :-( However, his hematocrit is starting to go up on it's own. His platelets are down to 6 so he will get another transfusion today. Since I explained to Caden what an NG tube is (a feeding tube that is inserted through the nose down to the stomach) he has been eating. He had lost 4 pounds but has put 2 back on and seems to be eating pretty good. He nibbles all day long. So, no NG tube! I really thought I would see his ANC start coming up this weekend because of several things that are happening. His hematocrit coming up, the sores on his feet and body are healing, no fever for several days now. Maybe tomorrow it will come up! Child Life is a department in the hospital. Its purpose is to help the children learn to cope with this experience. When Caden was refusing to get out of bed at all and wasn't eating we asked if we could use the Wii. As you have heard throughout my updates Caden loves to play video games. They brought it in and we told him the only way it would work is if he got out of bed to play. He did it! He likes to be the pitcher for baseball and I got to be the batter! He did the bowling and a little boxing when I was here too. Then he told me he was tired and asked me to do the boxing. Wow, using this thing is exercise, my arms were sore! Anyway that was the beginning of him getting better. He got exercise which made him hungry.....etc! Again, with all the test that were run they have no idea why he was running fevers and no idea what the sores were on his feet. I am so thankful that he has not been as sick this round as he was last round. I was really scared last round! This whole adventure is taking longer than anticipated. It has been scary, we have been sleep deprived, I miss my home, the rest of my family and wasn't able to be with my dog Jacques of 15 years when he passed away. But, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but where I am right now. I am so close to Caden and we have had some wonderful fun times full of laughter during these past 7 months! It has been fun being silly for no reason other than to make him smile and laugh. I have been blessed by my employer letting me work remotely for so long, my husband who has been keeping busy getting things done around our home, my friends Tom and Sandy who have helped me keep my sanity, my sister coming up for a month, my son Ronny who as come and will be bring Cameron back on August 3rd. Family, friends and people we have never met who have sent cards, gifts and get well / hang in there messages. But most of all, all of you prayer warriors! Your prayers have helped give us all strength, hope, patience and healing. There were times I wasn't sure I could cope with this situation but someone would call or send a note of encouragement and I would remember all will be well. Thank you. You have touched all of our lives in ways you may not even realise. My cousin Rick told me a story about sharing my updates with his co-workers and some of their reactions. By sharing this with me he showed me how we have also touched so many other lives. We don't know why this beautiful little boy has had to go through this experience except perhaps to change some of our lives. I know mine is, Denise (my co-worker) has told me how this has changed hers (she did a cancer climb to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite - you go girl!), Schelly's and Camerons too! Attached are Caden approved pictures from some gifts he received from people who have never met him. The one gift is Star Wars action figures (we all know he loves them), one is him holding some new hand made glass beads from a lady in Germany. He is saying "Oh yeah, some more beads!". And the other is him with his strands of Beads of Courage! (You can read about this program at www.beadsofcourage.org if interested) We would appreciate it if you would keep praying for all of us as we are not done yet! Love to all and may God bless you, Cindy"