Day 5

And he sleeps...... Sleep is good. Some people say that babies grow while they are sleeping. I pray that it is the same for healing. Adam has always been able to sleep through anything. He had to with three older siblings at home. I have always believed that he was a beautiful child and when he sleeps he has the sweetest expression. Could you tell that I'm just a little bit partial to this special young man?

Things just seem to be going so fast. My mind is in a whirlwind with all the information that we've been given. I am totally amazed with Adam and how he is taking in all of this and not letting this get him out-of-sorts. My new word to describe him is resilient----the ability to bend and not break.

Adam has had quite a bit of company. Of course lots of family have been here. He had four or five of his guy friends come on Friday with their parents. On Saturday, four of the girls from school came to see him. On Sunday he got another four hour pass and went to the movies with Aaron, Dan, Talia, and Jared. He said that he liked the movie (Transporter 3) but I think that he liked getting out of the hospital for a few hours.

Lots of things will be going on the next few days. PET scan is scheduled for Monday. We will know more after that is done and we have the results. As his mom, I have to say that in some ways it will be good to have more answers than questions. I guess my attitude is that if we know exactly what we are going to have to deal with then we can do it.

I love my son and it is hard to see him going through this but we will get through together!

A Journey Begins

The journey really began on February 10, 1993 in Hamilton, Ohio when Adam was born to his parents. The fourth of four children, Adam was the "baby" and still is the baby even though he is almost 16 and is taller than the other three children.

However, this blog tells the story of his current journey from his parents perspective dealing with his recent diagnosis of Hodgkin's Disease.

On Monday, November 24th, Adam had a doctor appointment with his pediatrician, Dr. James Davis. He was going in to check a swollen gland, that seemed to not go down. He had also just had a fainting episode at a friends house and so his mother was concerned, as was I, so a doctor's visit was needed.

Adam's mother and I separated in 1995 and divorced in 1999, we have remained close and are still friends. We have tried to maintain a relationship that would be beneficial for our kids, and so far this has worked very well for both of us. His mother remarried a few years ago, and I have a life partner, we have been together now 8 years.

Adam's mother called and explained to me that after the doctor's appointment, she arrived home to a call from the doctor, wanting to talk to her. The x-rays showed some abnormalities also in his chest area, and his blood work was somewhat questionable, as his white blood count was up, indicative of some kind of infection in his body. His recommendation was to send him to Children's Medical Center for further testing. His diagnosis? He didn't want to alarm us but said it could be anything for a major infection fighting it's way through the body to Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

To make a long story short, further tests were run; CT-scan; Blood Tests, X-rays, biopsy and the doctor's have confirmed that it is Hodgkin's Lymphoma. As to what stage, they believe it is State IV-A, which means the cancer has moved from the initial sight to other sites on the same side of his body. He has a mass on his neck about 6 centimeters long and 2 centimeters wide, another on the center of his chest, roughly the same size, and six nodules on and around his right lung. The numbers are good though, as this type of cancer has an 80-85% success rate.

For Thanksgiving, the doctor's gave him a four hour pass to be with family, and then another Saturday and Sunday. Friday a Bone Morrow test was completed with the results coming on Monday. This will tell us if the disease has moved into the bone marrow (the doctors feel that it has not, due to his blood counts). This will also give us an indicator as to the stage of the disease for sure and this will enable the doctors to determine how to treat the cancer and fight it.

Overall, Adam seems to be taking the new better than his mother and I, and has a very positive outlook, which is important.

This blog will share his journey with you and others through the eyes of his parents, and from him if and when he wishes to post.