Press On

I am not sure there is a truer statement than “everything is relative.” Patrick may not consider the pain he went through today to have been “easy,” but compared to the last two days, today’s treatment was just that. Really, there was just no other option.
After I updated yesterday afternoon, Patrick’s blood pressure spiked and we ended up waiting around for it to decrease until after 4. Alev met us at the hospital and walked us back to the Ronald. Patrick slept like a teenager until close to 7 and then woke up ready to go. I knew it was a good sign when we were not only blessed with Alev but also with the news that our favorite noodle house reopened with the same menu and a new name! So, we promptly ordered take-out of his favorite dishes. In a few short hours, he managed to pack in making his own version of an Atlanta Braves hat, racing with his buddy Rich, and playing with Alev. It was the first time I had seen the normal Patrick since we arrived. He woke me up this morning with a request to find a coin store here in New York. We had brunch at EJ’s and then slid north several blocks to a little coin store on Lexington. Patrick picked out an ancient Roman coin from the 300s. I was happy to buy that instead of something plastic from Toys R Us. He also picked up a copy of the “Numismatic News” to read. Between that and his crazy hat, he got a lot of looks from the natives on the streets.
We got to the hospital in time for him to make some pizza, do some puzzles, and beat me at Go Fish. When we got to the room, we were pleasantly surprised with a visit from Jocelyn. His pain today was relatively mild. Enough for a few doses of dilaudid and a healthy case of hives, but not over the top. I was so relieved. This has been a really hard week for all the kids here. I don’t know if it is something in this batch of 3F8, but we collectively agreed that today HAD TO BE BETTER and it was. Nice how that worked out.
Please pray for our little friend, Jack Huffman, as he prepares for surgery tomorrow. I have been in contact with his family for about a year now. Jack recently relapsed with a large tumor that is wrapped around his heart and the nerves surrounding it. The very talented Dr. LaQuaglia here is operating on it tomorrow, and the surgery is very risky. Jack is 4 and has an older sister, Elizabeth, who is in third grade. They are from Greenville, SC and did their stem cell transplant at Egleston. They are a very sweet family and Jack is precious. Life is hard on 73rd street, without a doubt, so while you are at it, please pray for all the families who are currently in treatment for cancer of any kind.
Thank you for checking in… I hope to report only good news from here on out.
With hope!
Erin