It's not the hand you are dealt, but how you play your cards.
December 26, 2003 - "God is watching" On December 26th I went in for routine blood labs. I was called back to the hospital for a platelet infusion, I had a fever and I was admitted into the hospital in the afternoon.
On December 28th my journey got a little tough. I got a nose bleed at 3:00 in the afternoon and it lasted for almost 2 1/2 hours. I was with my mom when it started and then she called my dad. I was losing a lot of blood through both my nostrils and down the back of my throat. I was vomiting blood while the doctors were trying to stop the bleeding. My mom was holding my nose and helping me and my dad was holding my hand and a flashlight for the doctors. I was getting blood and platelets infused and receiving IV fluids and pain medication.
It was a blessing to leave the hospital on December 31st and be home for New Years. I hope that 2004 will be a Happy and Healthy year! I was asking a lot of hard questions: "Is it possible for me to bleed to death?"..."Are you sure I'm not going to bleed to death?"... "Am I going to die?" I was crying and I was scared. In the middle of all this and at a very special moment I put my hands together and prayed.
December 19, 2003 - The Road to Chemotherapy My parents and the doctors changed my in-hospital chemotherapy so that if I got a fever and neutropenia (low white cell counts), 7 days later, I would be home for Christmas. I got chemotherapy today but had a lot of fun over the past 8 days. I had my best friend Joe over to play. I went to see the Lord of the Rings, Return of the King. My dad talked to the manager of the movie theatre and I was able to go in first and not wait in line. My dad was joking around and he said: "Isn't having cancer cool because you get treated so well"! I told him I would rather wait in line for 3 hours! My favorite part was when Angmar, chief of the Nazgul, was killed in the battle of Minas Tirith. My brother's favorite part was when all the spirits came off the ships and attacked the Orcs.
On December 16th I went on a field trip with my fourth grade class to the De Anza Minolta Planetarium. My favorite was the part about "Honey, I Shrank the Universe". That same day I went to school and made Christmas ornaments with my class mates.
December 11, 2003 - In the hospital for 6 days... On December 2, I spent almost 8 hours in the clinic. I got a blood transfusion and waited almost 2 hours in a waiting room for a doctor to get my kidney's and high blood pressure checked. It was a really long day and I was feeling very tired.
On December 3rd I was admitted to the hospital with a fever and low blood counts. I spent 6 days in the hospital and got all the normal "goodies" - four units of packed red blood cells, two units of platelets, IV antibiotics, and all the other yummi stuff. The nice thing is that I had my own room and I was able to play video games with one of my nurses "Wajma". I am feeling great and I went Christmas shopping with my mom and will be going to my school for the Christmas program. "Thank you Mrs. Peanasky and Mrs. Crowley for your blood! My dad says that both of you are really organized and since I got your blood I will be organized too!"
November 27, 2003 - Thanksgiving Day "Here I am at the hospital with my nurse Maggie the night before Thanksgiving. I am getting chemotherapy today and I should be able to go home for Thanksgiving. Here is what I am thankful for:
MY PARENTS AND MY WHOLE FAMILY, MY CANCER BEING FOUND AS EARLY AS IT WAS AND ME BEING BORN, MY DOGS, MY TASTE BUDS, AND MY LIFE. ME BEING HEALTHY AND FOR ALL OF MY CARING FRIENDS AND FAMILY. THE DOCTORS AND THE NURSES. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!"
November 18, 2003 I got out of the hospital today! When I went in to the hospital I was pretty sick and now I feel much better. I really don't like being in the hospital because it is pretty boring especially after I start feeling better. My mom always stays with me and we watch movies and play games like connect four. I play a lot of video games with my dad and brother. My best friend Joe P. came to visit me on Sunday and we had a good time. Most of my family comes to visit me. I can't get any flowers when I am in the hospital because flowers have things in them like pollen, dust and mold that can float through the air and get kids like me sicker than they already are, You can't bring me any food because I don't eat too much and things don't taste good anyway. I also can't get any balloons because many people are allergic to latex so they won't allow them in the hopsital. Overall being in the hospital sucks beyond belief! "If you wonder what I go through when I go to the hospital:
They take my vital signs...draw labs from both of the tubes in my chest...stick me in my arm to draw more blood...give me IV fluids ...give me antibiotics like vancomycin...ceftazadime and mirapenim...I wait in the clinic for a hospital room...they take my height and weight...I had a CT scan of my abdomen...I had a GI consult for belly pain (they thought I might have had cholecystitis - inflamed gall bladder)...I got 2 units of blood...I got 2 units of platelets...I got woken up every 4 hours (for 7 straight days) so they could check me...I got a shot every night...I took about 10 pills a day for fever, high blood pressure, potassium and phosphorus supplementation...I might be checked for a peptic ulcer too! "
November 12, 2003 I woke up this morning with a fever of 100.8 and this is the 7th day after my chemotherapy treatment. My mom took me into the clinic and I had a sample of my blood taken to the lab to check and see about how my blood cells were doing. I had very few white cells (they fight infection), very few red blood cells (they carry oxygen and give me energy) and very few platelets (they help my blood clot). My fever got as high as 104 and I had the chills and was very sick. I was moved from the clinic into my hospital room at 2:00 in the afternoon and I was given 2 units of blood, a lot of fluids through my veins, and 1 unit of platelets. I was also given antibiotics to fight the infection and fever. It looks like I will be in the hospital for a few days. "Special thanks to Margaret Leong and my Grandfather, 'Papa' for donating blood. I used it today and it was great!"
November 5, 2003 I am going into the hospital for another chemotherapy treatment.
The last three weeks have been great. Last Sunday was my brother Joey's 13th Bithday Party (he will be 13 years old on November 10). My dad networked four X-Box's for Joey's birthday party. All 16 kids played Halo, capture the flag on 4 different TV sets, all at the same time.
On October 31st I went to visit my classmates at Resurrection and watched the movie Babe with them. It was really nice to see all my friends. We asked all the kids at school to come and "trick or treat" at our house for Halloween since I didn't go out. My mom and dad decorated our front porch with hay and a skeleton scarecrow and smoke and scary music. It was really cool. I have been watching a lot of scary movies lately and they really don't scare me. What could be more scary than having cancer!
This year all the kids at my school did a penny drive to support me and my cancer. They raised $2,600 and that works out to be 260,000 pennies! An anonymous donor gave as much money as everyone raised and half of the gift goes to support me and half of the gift goes back to Resurrection School. My parents are trying to decide which organization to give the funds to and I will let everyone know. I want ot thank everyone with all my heart for collecting all the pennies.
The best part of the last 3 weeks since my last chemotherapy treatment was not getting a fever and having to go into the hopital! I still spent a lot of time in the Clinic and Day Hospital. I had 3 blood transfusions and 3 potassium infusions. The chemotherapy is killing my cancer but is also damaging my kidneys and that is why I need to take potassium and I started having high blood pressure. High blood pressure is not good because it makes your heart work harder than it should. I started taking high blood pressure medicine in a liquid (like cough syrup). I also get high blood pressure medicine through a patch that is on my chest. The patch is cool because it is like a band-aid and it gives me medicine through my skin.
That's the News from Nick. Thank you and say a little prayer for me.
