May 2008 Archives

Wyatt had another good clinic visit last week.   He had to have some stitches removed which was not a good time but he recovered quickly.  A good thing about being three years old is that he doesn't seem to hold a grudge.  The doctors and nurses are forgiven quickly...especially if there are lollipops involved.

The exam rooms at the clinic are decorated with tiles created by patients and their families.  One of the tiles in his room last week had a Dr. Seuss quote that has really stuck with me.

“I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!”

Wyatt has a nice long break from doctors and clinics - 6 weeks!  It's hard to believe but we are actually coming up on the one year mark of Wyatt's diagnosis.  It is difficult to believe that all this has happened in less than a year.  I often wonder how long this all feels to him.  I wonder if he can remember what his life was life before?  Or, if he can remember all the things he has been through?  Maybe be another benefit of being three years old, he might actually forget some of this craziness. 

Thanks for reading!

Wyatt's biopsy results came back today.  Everything looks normal.  He is at 85-90% cellularity and 100% engrafted.  Which means his bone marrow is full with new cell growth and all of those cells are donor cells (owen's cells).  This is the news we have been hoping, wishing and praying for since we got on this roller coaster last summer.  There are some components of his immune system that are still recovering - like T cells, etc.  But the doctors don't expect to see normal ranges in those areas until he reaches his first year anniversary.  So, we still have some things to worry about but for now, we feel some relief.  Wyatt will continue to go to the clinic here every couple of months to have his counts checked.  And we will go back to Minnesota in November for another bone marrow biopsy at his one year anniversary.  Wyatt will have a team of doctors in Minnesota that will keep track of his entire little body to look for signs that FA is rearing it's ugly head again.  But I am going to work really hard to keep the faith that Wyatt will indeed get a break from complications....I gotta think that he has earned a little time on Easy Street.

I know that there are a lot of you out there (big and small) who have been rooting for Wyatt.  I am a visual person. And in my mind, I have always pictured you as players on Wyatt's team.... his defense.  Well, you showed up ready to play and we thank you for all of the positive thoughts and prayers that you have sent his way.  Score is 1 for Wyatt!  It's been a long 6 months and we thank you for continuing to remember him.  I have to put some faith in the power of positive thinking.  There are a lot of people out there who worked really hard at wishing and praying Wyatt well.  Thank you. 

I will continue to post on this site to keep you updated on what I hope to be Wyatt's continued progress.  And I am sure that I will have some stories to share as Wyatt gets back to being a three year old again.  We are still planning to put up a site for the triathlon fundraiser in September.  As always, thanks for reading.

What a surprise for us to arrive in Minnesota to 80 degree weather!  It was a balmy minus 10 degrees when we left in February. 

The trip went well.  The doctors were happy with Wyatt's progress.  The biopsy went well - he came out of sedation much better than last time.  He woke up his normal happy little self.  The doctors feel that he is doing well and seemed hopeful that his biopsy results will support their physical assessment of him.  It will take about week for those results to come back.  If things look okay, he is cleared to return to normal life!  I forget what normal life is all about but I know that we'll be happy to return to it.  His doctor said that if his biopsy results came back with positive numbers that he will have cleared the transplant hurdles.  And we just move onto to dealing with his Fanconi Anemia and hope that he gets a hiatus from complications.

So I hope just one more week of pins and needles until we can finally exhale and let this little guy back into the land of the living.

We leave for Minnesota tomorrow morning.  Wyatt will have another bone marrow biopsy and lots of other tests.  This is a standard 6 month post transplant appointment but it still makes me very anxious.  It will take about a week for the biopsy results to come back.  So, like always, more waiting.  And I am, again like always, a Nervous Nelly.  Steve is confident that Wyatt is still recovering just as planned.   It will be a long day for Wyatt with lots of the much hated 'pinching' (blood draws and IVs).  And I suspect that it might even be worse than normal because he has been getting all these nice long breaks from doctors, pinches, hospitals, etc.  He has become a little less tolerant of all the poking.

So, cross your fingers that these tests reveal that Wyatt is on track with his recovery.  And hopefully, he will be cleared to return to some normal kid stuff.  I hope I didn't just jinx things...he deserves some fun times.  I think he has paid his dues.  I guess we are all ready for some fun times.  We are certainly ready for some good news!