Second cycle of Cyclo started

Try saying that 10 times fast.


It's been a while since we've posted;  I'm sorry it's taken so long.  I have started a couple of posts, but haven't gotten them polished enough to actually post them.  I hope we're not losing readers because of the long silences - we really do appreciate all of you who read this blog, and who are keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.  We also really appreciate all of the comments, letters, e-mails and support we receive from all of you.  It helps us to know that we aren't alone, and that there are so many people who also care about Kol and our family.


We interrupt this post for a fun story . . .

Just now, as I started writing this, Kol told Mari that once his Cancer is over, he'll have 2 jobs - one as a sugar-free ice cream salesman, and the other will be as the first Cancer Doctor to invent a pill that people can take after radiation treatments, which will destroy the Cancer.  The radiation (he says) will destroy the outside of the tumour - the part that is blocking, or protecting the part of the tumour that is susceptible to the pill.  He also said that he wants to be the youngest Cancer Doctor that ever lived.  He then told me that he wants to be a naturopathic doctor, too, but he wants to be able to have access to a place where they can do MRIs.  I told him maybe he can figure out a way that he can combine the two.  His face brightened at that idea, and then he said that he'd have to learn how to do lots of equations.


And now back to the planned message . . .

We just spent the last 2 days in Saskatoon at the Cancer Center, where Kol got his 3rd and 4th doses of Cyclophosphamide (cyclo for short)- the chemo drug that he's been getting on the maintenance cycle.  Kirk has a post planned that will explain the treatment process in more detail, so I'll leave that to him.  We are back at home, and Kol is doing surprisingly well.  Last time, after the 2 days of cyclo, Kol was tired, and we expected this time to be worse - but he was feeling good enough to go to his play practise last night, and, aside from looking pale, he seems fine today. 


The cyclo damages the bone marrow, which produces white blood cells, which in turn fight infection.  White blood cells live approximately 5 days, so Kol's white blood cell counts will drop steadily over the next few days as the oldest cells die off, and as his body isn't able to produce new white cells.  They reach the lowest levels around days 7-10, and then should start to recover again.  Last time, Kol's counts were up in the safe range by day 14, so we hope it'll be about the same this time.  Today, we start giving Kol sub-cutaneous  (just under the skin - not into the blood stream) injections of G-CSF, or filgrastim, which helps stimulate the white blood cell growth.  He will get daily injections for a minimum of 7 days, or until his counts are high enough again.  He got 12 doses last month.  At the Cancer Center, Kol had something called an encephlon inserted in his arm, near his PICC line.  The G-CSF is injected into that, so he doesn't need to get poked every time he gets it.  We call the encephlon a mini-PICC.  The bad thing is that the encephlon only lasts a week, so he'll need a new one next week.  Two pokes are still better than 12.


We'll be starting another round of "house arrest" for Kol in the next couple of days.  It's a good thing that Kol is such a home body - he doesn't really miss not being able to go out too much - although I think he does miss Sunday School and play practise. 


kol says he does not miss SS and play practise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! mom dis is kol typing!


I guess I should learn not to leave my computer unattended, and unlocked.  I stand corrected.


The more I learn about the amount of abuse our bodies can withstand, the more amazed I am at the way God created us.  Doctors can't heal us - our own bodies do that.  We humans still don't understand all of the processes involved in life, health, or healing - but God does.  How cool is that?