Day 1 Cranial Radiotherapy

A big thank you to Copiworld at Seven Hills for their generous offer to Laminate Brody's Superhero posters. This will help Brody feel more at ease in his hospital room and give him the strength to keep fighting. Thanks again.

Today we were taken to the adult hospital for his cranial radiotherapy. Brody did really well accepting that they were given him meds in his cords to put him to sleep. After he was asleep i left the room. I then had to go and wait in the waiting room.

After half hour they called me into recovery, where Brody was still fast asleep. Once he woke they took us straight back to his room, where all he wanted was food. His head and face were a little red, but faded after a while.

We had a big sleep today as they told me it would make him tired. But otherwise everything went well. They have also started to give him some new meds to help his stomach for transplant.
Thank you for everyone for understanding that there is no visitors allowed as Brody is in isolation and his counts are going down each day. Thank you again to all my lovely friends and family that have helped us through this tough experience, as we wouldn't of made it this far without you all.
All families that are in this experience suffer from financial hardships as they have to pay the same bills, as they were paying when they were working and then have extra costs on top for meds, extra food, entrainment for brody in hospital and list goes on........ so the outgoings are more than what they get. There is not alot of help out there, they can only help with so much, so please if you know of a family in this situation, donate, buy vouchers, do things around their house to offer support don't just ask if there is anything you can do for them, as people in this situation find it hard to ask for help. Thanks, xoxoxo

Happy 5th Birthday Brody!!!

Yesterday the hospital gave us another gate pass to go to grandma's and have a birthday party for Brody. He was so excited and happy it was good to see.

We had lots of fun playing party games and having yummy party food. Brody wanted a Superhero party, so all the kids and John (Bill's Brother Inlaw) come dressed as the hulk. Holly came as Catwomen Joshua came as Evil Spiderman and his cousins Dom and Ethan came as superman and Batman. Brody was his favourite hero Ironman.

Brody was less active as usually and by the afternoon he was asking to go back to the hospital. All afternoon he held onto his lollie bag and all day today he has been opening and closing the lollie bag. So thats it now, poor Brody is going to get sicker and sicker each day, that was our last day out in the big wide world.

Brody and i would like to thank the Herald family for making this day happen, to Grandma and Grandpa for getting everything ready for our arrival, the Morris family for coming and for Brody's Wii and Wii games, and Ben 10 books. He was playing the Wii all afternoon. Thank you to Uncle David and his cousin Domenic and Ethan and to Karlina, Stan, Miles and Eleanor, we love you all. Thanks for making Brody have a great day and beaning apart of our family.

Today Brody is getting weaker and weaker, his blood pressure was a bit down last night in his sleep and he is getting pale, as the chemo is starting to effect his body. He had his kidney test today and now they are getting ready for his radiation tomorrow.

Luke is coming on Friday for his tests and he is still having problems up in Qld, which is stressing me out. He didn't want to come early which i was sad about as now he want be able to come and see his brother. Brody will be very disappointed with it, but that's ok he is a teenager and i know he loves his brother very much. He has alot on up there and needs to fix his life up.

At this point of time with the amount of stress on me with Brody and luke and life in general i think i will begin to crack, i just hope evrything stays as its planned and nothing else pops up to tip me over the edge.

Birthday Party!! and a big choice to make!!!

Yesterday the transplant team met with me and told me i had a choice to do transplant or not. I have till MOnday to think about it, but if i don't do it his cancer will get worse and if i do it there is a chance it want work and he will be put through hell to get there.
I have already made my mind up, as we have gone this far and its the only chance he has. So we will be going through with it but it has had my mind thinking all weekend and it is breaking my heart every minute.

Brody had his dad, Nana, pop and Uncle Dane visit him today and they had a early Birthday Party for him. Brody was so excited and loved his Ben 10 tracksuit as he didn't wont to take it of to go to bed.

We then got a gate pass for a couple of hours to go home, Grandma watched Brody as i went to the shops to get everything for our little party for Brody Tomorrow with Brody's cousins and Bill's family.

A huge Thank you to Bernice Herald and family for the wonderful gift as it is going to make Brody's Party a big surprise. Thank you and we love you xoxox

Day 2 - Sad News!!!

Today the transplant team come in to visit us. Its not to good, as they said he is going to have more a chance to have all the effects i mentioned before. They also don't like his chances of the transplant working, but they are still beaning hopeful. They have told me that this is the only way Brody will have some sort of a chance to beat this. They could not give me a percent of his chances, as there is not alot of research out there for doing it this way.

If Transplant works and cancer comes back within 6 months there is nothing more we can do for him. But if the cancer comes back later down the track there are options we can do and maybe do another transplant and maybe using Luke again. Brody's cancer is very acute and have found 2 chemo's he respond too, which they are using these chemos now to lower the level.

So please pray and keep your fingers crossed for our little super hero. Only time will tell, but i am not giving up on my little man. Thanks xxx

First Day in and its already stressful!!!

First day in hospital and we have normal doctors and transplant doctors coming to check everything and change next weeks busy schedule. With kidney test and other test Monday and head radiation now on the other days. People causing me stress which i didn't need, i am just so over it and will soon loose my block!!!

Trying to get Brody back into his normal routine of hospital life and organising things for isolation, as his poster have to be laminated, and hospital cant do them. Great more money to spend, but its worth it to make his stay a bit more happier. But hard to get things done from a hospital room, poor Grandma and Grandpa have to run around for me.

Brody had a visit from his dad today and then Grandma and Grandpa brought his favourite cocktail Frankfurt's in for dinner.

But am now tried, stressed and angry so i just feel like saying stuff doing this blog, but i know i have alot of great friends and family out there who have helped me with all your lovely comments. Thanks xoxox Cant believe this all happen and its only day 1. Its only going to get worse. Grrr.... Why cant my life and Brody,s life just be normal.

Bad News today!!!!

It started as a normal day with behaviour intervention and watching Tv, having fun with the boys before they went to school. Grandma and Grandpa went off to the school for grandparents day. While they were away I got a phone call from the hospital.

Brody's Bone Marrow test came back today and the cancer levels were to high to do transplant. Therefore we have to go back to hospital today to start chemo again to get the level down again. If they start now everything should be still be set for transplant. If we had left it, the cancer would have more of a chance to take over and transplant would not work. But this way we are giving more chances for the transplant to work and bet the cancer. (Hopefully).

I still get worried that the cancer might come back as Brody has had 3 blocks of strong doses of chemo and still the cancer is fighting it. So will the transplant work??????

We are all set up in hospital tonite, but only with limited stuff as i didn't get a chance to pack for a long stay or get things ready for isolation stage. Therefore will have to get poor grandma and grandpa to bring over stuff. They have started the chemo, but Brody is still normal as he has eaten chicken nuggets and chips.

We are in the same ward as always, which is good as he knows the nurses in this ward. Its funny to prove this, a nurse come in when lights are out and said hello to Brody, he forgot her name but went to grab her pen out of her pocket, as he used to do that to her every time she come in. LOL.

Its great to know they are understanding me now that Brody has issues and needs normal routine stuff, not one off fly byes, as it causes more stress for him. As they have planned now to be in one of the isolation rooms in the ward he knows with the nurses he knows. Its taking 6 months but they know what i am talking about now!! At least i have paved the way for other Autism children.

So our stay in hospital is now 11 weeks, please remember after this week, No body will be able to visit us as Brody will be in isolation and very ill from extra chemo and radiation. Thank you. I will post up dates and photos on his facebook and blog. Thank you to everyone for all your prayers thoughts and support. To my wonderful parents we love you and thank you so much for everything you do for us. xoxoxox

Its getting closer!!!

Lately we have been doing the same old things, behaviour intervention, and staying at home playing games and watching TV. But its been a good couple of weeks having the freedom and rest from hospital life.

Today i had another meeting with the transplant team, it was to confirm things and learn a bit more. We found out the chemo and drugs Brody will be taking and their effects-

Thiotepa -this is the drug that will need the showers 4 times a day. nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headache, fever, confusion, drowsiness, skin rash, mouth sores, liver defeats, darken skin, infertility.

Cyclophamide-nausea, vomiting, metallic taste, bladder irritation, fluid retention and confusion, skin reactions, heart damage, lung damage, secondary cancer, infertility.

Cyclosporine- nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, burning feeling in hands and feet, impairment to kidney and liver, high blood pressure, excessive facial and body hair, tremor, weight gain, swelling eyes, hands, feet, depression, tired, headache, seizures, skin reactions, ringing in ears, muscle cramps, swollen and bleeding gums, clotting and blocking of blood flow, increased risk of skin cancer and lymphoma.

Methotrexate-nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, mouth sores, skin rash, liver damage, drowsiness, fatigue, dizziness and blurred vision, and inflammation of the lungs.

Same of these chemo's Brody has had before on the standard risk and high risk stages, but now these dosages are lethal doses as they need to kill all the cells in his bone marrow as he is in the very high risk stage. This stage is quite rare as most children are on the standard risk stage and they said that 10% of children do not make it through transplant.

There will be other drugs also on top of the chemo's to help prevent or help grow new cells.
We also found out some of the rules we have to comply with, such as no jewellery, especially rings as they keep germs under them. No bags, toys need to be wash before coming in and after use. No stuff toys, nothing to be on the floor. We have to keep dust out of the room. Also we have to wash hands before going in and before touching Brody. My hands will be prune from all the washing LOL.

Luke is coming down on the 13th JUly for more tests and hopefully we can some how talk him into staying down here, as his father has thrown him out. One minute he is talking about taking his life and now he wants to set up house with another 18 year old and 16 year old. Grrrrr...... just more to worry about. Cant believe his father still cant be a father to him, as all every Luke wanted was to have his fathers love, but just got emotionally abused.

Wednesday, we have a kidney test and Brody's cord to be flushed clean. Then Friday we have a meeting with Transplant team again to confirm all tests and double check again it all ok to go ahead. Busy, Busy, Busy......

I have to start packing and keep organising all our stuff to get ready for the 13th July when we are admitted into hospital.