The intersection of gratitude & lament during childhood cancer.
Asparagus foraging, a Larrabee family favorite. There are a million and one different ways to help support your child's body while experiencing Leukemia. Ranging from fleeing to Mexico and finding a holistic cancer clinic to indulging on hospital cafeteria milkshakes at every appointment, the choices are vast. You can also spend hours, upon hours, (upon… Continue reading Integrative Choices: Nutrition
(Photo by Joel Blocker, for UCHealth) The first time Deb drew Beau's labs, she sat with him for a full 20 minutes before she even brought out a needle. She let him ask 158 questions and moved slow around the room while he wept. She told him a classic Grandma story that started the same… Continue reading Meeting Deb.
In the days after Beau's diagnosis, Josh and I would deliver a laundry list of questions and clarifications to the doctors when they came by our hospital room on their daily rounds. One day in particular, Josh asked about the Lumbar Punctures (LP's) that Beau would be getting throughout the course of his treatment. LP's,… Continue reading Her 20,000 to our 25.
Induction is 29 days. It is the first phase of frontline treatment. Frontline is the initial portion of the 2-3 year treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Days Spent Inpatient: Days 1-4 for beginning treatment, Day 7-18 to treat a staph infection. Medical details: 2 Bone Marrow Aspirates1 Permanent Port Placement3 Intrathecal Chemo Doses via Lumbar… Continue reading A.L.L. Induction- a technical review
The sun wasn't much past rising. All the snowflakes in the air reflected the light in a way that made it seem later than it was. I walked into the dark kitchen and looked out the window and paused. The whole scene was filled with snow. Soft snowflakes that seemed to be hanging thick in… Continue reading the inevitable nature of snowflakes
I normally blog as a narrative, but with all the details of what's going on, I thought it may be worth laying out some more details in a more expository fashion. It's outside my comfort zone. That is for sure. But I have also been looking around the internets for this information- another mom who… Continue reading Cold, hard facts about A.L.L and Induction
He didn't give me time to adjust the lighting. I wanted the moment to be captured. Surely with a photo, but maybe even on video. I wanted to make sure everyone saw how bravely he took the clippers to his gorgeous blonde locks. I wanted to be positive that we had this moment just for… Continue reading Rushing into forever.
The Heavy Wait 