Thankful we got thru the 1st week....

WEIRD....so many emotions and thoughts about it all. Friday we went early to get Franco's chemo. The nurse agreed to meet us there early but forgot to tell us the elevators don't come on until 8. Luckily we ran into the port surgeon and he flashed his card for the elevator to work....yay...he saved the day! Kristin got us in quickly and outta there and we were on our way to ARA to get the PET scan. I just have to say that I was so pleased with how nice everyone was. People being kind make all the difference. So they set Franco up in a room...and we wait...and wait....and wait some more.....then they drew some blood (luckily Kristin left his port still accessed), gave him some versed and within 15 seconds he was sleeping. Thank goodness his body responded well to the versed...the less meds the better. Then a lady with a metallic "lunch" box with radioactive stickers on it came in and injected the radioactive dye into his port. At that moment, it took all I had not to yank Franco up into my arms and run out of there. I sat there watching and knowing they were injecting radiation into my son, my baby, who I've done everything in my power for his whole 5 years of life to make every right decision possible to protect him and keep him healthy. And there I sat watching and letting someone inject him with poison. It hit me! They told me that for the next 45 minutes they needed him to sleep so the radiation would work thru his body and go to places of high metabolic places (tumors) and that would show up on the scan. So for the next 45 minutes I just prayed. Praying for no other tumors in his tiny body. When the time was up they moved us from his room to the x-ray room. Luckily they let me stay in there. I had my own lead vest. So we keep him sleepy while they transfer him from the bed to the x-ray bed. Franco was starting to wake up and I just prayed he stayed asleep for the remainder of the 15 minutes to complete the scan. So the guy was prepping me on all that was going on. So the BIG red light came on....and the machine started moving....and then I hear it turn off...huh? I thought, well, that was fast. Then the guy next to me looks at the tech behind the wall and window and after conversing he comes out to tell me they had a "glitch" with the software and have to reset it. So after 2 times of starting over and having to reset it....it finally worked. Keep in mind that the radioactive dye is only "active" for a certain time....we were running out of time and out of time from the versed wearing off. I stood there thinking....noooo...this isn't happening....we will get the pics we need and get out of here. Just please stay asleep Franco and we are almost done......So I prayed, prayed, and prayed....yes the third time was a charm. They got it to work. I was standing at the head of the machine and saw Franco's eyes open and immediately (after being coached prior to) told Franco not to move an inch. To close his eyes again and pretend he was a statue. We only had 8 minutes left....PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let Franco cooperate and listen. And he did. I was SOOO proud of him! He was awake yet closed his eyes again and was so still he had the tech fooled. hee hee. As soon as I told him we were done he said, Mommy why did I have to keep staying still? Oh man....I was so happy he listened to me. He was so happy he was finally able to eat and drink after having to fast for 24 hrs. He hadn't eaten since noon the day before. He was starving!

Let me also say that Ms. Becky watched Gio for us since my Mom went back home on Thursday. I wouldn't have been able to even be in the room with Franco had I not had someone to watch Gio. She even cancelled her appointment to watch Gio. BeBe is the best! When I dropped Gio off in the morning with BeBe- the smile that came across Giovanni's face was priceless. He so loves BeBe and Mr. David. and Wyatt of course! BIG THANK YOU to them!

Because of the holiday, we won't know results until Tuesday. I ask for everyone to pray there are not any other tumors in his body!

That's about all for now. Hope everyone is enjoying there weekend. Be safe. Love to all.

Blessings,
m2g2