10/26/2009
by Michael Wells Today is just about over and that’s about the best thing I can say about it. A tough one for both Sherrie and Brady; Brady’s next procedure will be an MRI to take a look at the possibility of tumors behind his eyes. I have been told this is for base-lining his cancer but I have become quite a bit more cynical in the last 2 weeks and I am having difficulty deciphering this medical jargon. So, I will wait and see how this turns out. Brady will have to be amnestied for the MRI as it would be impossible to have a 14 month old toddler lay still. Sherrie was a bit stressed tonight when I picked up Brady to change his diaper and noticed he was bleeding from his PICC catheter in his arm. This is a plastic tube which is surgically connected to his right arm so he can receive his chemotherapy drugs and also have blood drawn as well. It seems one of the plastic tubes (Brady has 2 fittings) actually cracked so after a little scare the nurses (Isabel) got things under control. The only problem now is Brady will have to be amnestied one more time to have this plumbing mishap repaired. Needless to say, it was a stressful night at the hospital. On the bright side, Brady seems to be just as happy and carefree as your typical toddler. He is just full of energy and loves to walk around the ward or ride in one of the many toy cars. You can’t imagine how difficult it is to keep up with a 14 month old toddler who’s connected with tubing to what looks like a coat rack holding 2 pumps, 2 IV bags, numerous syringes, a couple of alcohol pads and at least one syringe pump. No wonder his PICC broke, I’m amazed it lasted this long. He’s going to cause his Mom to have a heart attack. I truly don’t how Sherrie manages; she has spent every minute of every day (except 2 nights) for the past 20 days in the hospital at Brady’s side. She’s just a wonderful Mom and a beautiful one on top of it. In many ways, I am a very lucky man! A finally thought before I call it a night. I have found some very good information online and if anyone is interested the site I have found most informative is: The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) [link removed*]. This site is very educational and a good source of information. Until next time; please keep Brady in your thoughts and prayers…*The Hugs for Brady Foundation will ALWAYS be in support of other foundations who allow people to donate blood, platelets, plasma, or register to become a bone marrow donor. However, we no longer ask supporters to donate financially to ‘The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’ as their focus on childhood cancers does not coincide with our foundation’s mission.
“8 Years Later—Still No Cure for Pediatric Cancer” is a series of posts revisiting the journal kept by Sherrie and Michael Wells during the cancer diagnosis and treatment of their son, Brady Michael. Hopefully these entires will provide an understanding of the journey families face when dealing with these horrific diseases and of the important work the Hugs for Brady Foundation does.