Chemo week 7: Memorial weekend!

Today is Wednesday and I finally have about 4 minutes to sit down and write about the last several days.
We actually got chemo yesterday because of the holiday, and it has been tough. Even though the few days before chemo,  Riley has been tired and just not feeling well, I forget so fast how SICK he really can get. Today as I have been holding the puke bucket and rubbing his back telling him it's okay and watching him get sicker and sicker, I've just been thinking over and over....
CANCER IS REAL...... AND THIS IS OUR LIFE
Those movies you see on t.v. like My Sister's Keeper, it's not just a movie, it is real and it is happening all over and it's happening to us. It just tears my heart out.

I'll give some good news though..... The blood culture came back AND...... It's negative, which means the ear infection he was getting, did not spread to his blood!!! Which is HUGE!!! We are still on antibiotics and his ear looked pretty good yesterday but I'm a little worried because he is so sick he throws up everything, the antibiotic included.... so.... we'll see on that.
He also had better blood counts, so..... NO TRANSFUSIONS!! This week anyway! This treatment was Vincristine and Dactinomycin, so they said his counts will plummet again, so be ready next week for them...?? maybe...??? maybe not!!  (a girl can hope!!)
Since we know how Riley tolerates this drug already, and the last time he got it, it was just a half a dose, we are prepared!! They gave him fluids and a Zofran through the I.V. during treatment and I also got trained on how to give him fluids at home!! That's right, I think I might switch my profession!! I'm becoming quit the nurse!! haha!!

Let's do this!!

So the fluids have electrolytes and potassium in it and I "hook" him up at bed time and let it run all night for 10 hours, then I un-hook him and flush his port. We will do this for 3 nights in a row, which is such a good thing because if Riley even looks at a glass of water, he throws up, so I know without that last night we would be in the hospital today.

All hooked up and tuckered out!!

Finally he fell as sleep at 1:30a.m.  I couldn't move him and the i.v. bag myself and I didn't want to wake daddy so we slept on the couch! 
I still need to watch him and report fevers or extreme tiredness/ headaches, etc. but for tonight I think we are good!
He is still holding his weight at about 45 pounds. So that's good! I don't know how, with his appetite, but I won't worry about that!
The doctors have him walk every week so they can see if the chemo has effected his feet yet and they said they have NEVER seen a kid this far into treatment that can walk as good as him!! YAY! He's doing awesome!! His hair is holding strong, but we were warned probably only another week or so with it. I'm finally okay with this..... I'm ready! Fall out!!

We had a pretty good Memorial Day weekend! We decided on Sunday to get out and go up the canyon..... not very far of course! And have a hamburger!
It didn't last long.... Riley got so tired we needed to head back home. But he did get up for 4 minutes and see what kind of bugs Hunter was catching!!

Once he got tired, he looked from a far!!

Me and my boys!!

It's been half an hour mom.... let's go!!

The most wonderful daddy in the whole world!!

Riley always says.... "Just hold me"

Don't let this kid fool you though, he is always up for a "SLUSHY" aka: breakfast, lunch and dinner! When he is feeling good!!

Not to mention "Movie Theater Nights" with Hunter and every blanket and stuffed animal he has!!

Thank you for all the calls and texts and messages we've gotten just today, wanting to make sure Riley was feeling okay after chemo. It brings me to tears to know I have such wonderful friends and people who love us. I'm sorry I can't get back to you all but just know I am grateful for you!