DESPERATE TIMES CALL FOR DESPERATE MEASURES.

For the 4th day in a row, Noah has sent me to Target for their popcorn. Today he actually wanted popcorn, a soft pretzel AND an Icee. Yes, we are in full force of steroid week.

Along with the mood swings and emotions steroid week can bring, it also brings strong food cravings. And since my chemo patient son has a hard time finding food to eat the other 20 days of the month, steroid week gives him a chance to enjoy food and gain some much needed calories. It normally brings a lot more work on me, but I’m happy to see him eat.

Some steroid week cravings have been pepperoni, sometimes mashed potatoes, sometimes bacon, and this week seems to be popcorn (with a little bacon on the side. 🙂 ) He is SO picky and when he wants something, what he really means is he wanted it 10 minutes ago.

So you can understand how I was almost in tears when I got to Target and discovered their snack area was closed due to plumbing problems. Doesn’t Target know how huge this is for us??? We need their food and we need it now! I talked to Noah, and after he asked how close the next Target was, 🙂 I offered a few suggestions that he thought he might be able to “try.”

Now I am keeping my fingers crossed that he will like it. And thanking God for the bank that normally gives suckers to the kids, but today they just “happened” to have popcorn instead.

Even though this has happened a lot over the past 2 years, in fact too many to count, it is still something I can’t get used to seeing. But I am thankful it doesn’t happen as often as it used to.

Just 30 more weeks, Noah. We are almost done. YOU are almost done! Praying for your complete healing, where cancer will stay away forever and that you will have no lasting side effects from these terrible, life saving drugs.

Today I said words like, “Noah, leave your sister alone!” and “Noah, settle down!” Words that on today’s occasion, warmed my heart.

We celebrated Noah’s 2 year cancer diagnosis anniversary at Maggie Moo’s tonight. We talked about what we remembered in those early days and how far we have come since then.

We dreamed about what his end of treatment party might look like. We have lots of fun planning to do in the days ahead! And, we are thinking about Disney World in the fall with no medicines and no restrictions since his port will be out. We are excited and have started watching Disney movies again to anticipate the trip and so we can be ready when we see a character in the park. 😉 It feels so good to dream.

We talked about the blessings that have come through Noah’s diagnosis. The kids mentioned several of their friends from St. Jude, Noah mentioned his doctor and free Putt Putt golf. I am so thankful that they can see the blessings through the hardships.

There are lots to look forward to in 2016. And we pray for no hurdles to go over along the way!

Noah had several runners running for him this year in the St. Jude Marathon! It was so sweet to see friends and family (some who aren’t even pictured here), running in their Team Noah shirts. We feel so encouraged and loved by the time and money they have put into training and for many of their family that came to cheer them on!

Recently, Noah hasn’t been eating on Mondays. We think it’s more nerves than anything, but by the end of the day he’s pretty lethargic. He might eat something before we leave, but that’s it. Sometimes that has meant not eating or drinking from 8:30 am to 7 pm. We have tried
everything we can think of. We have taken food, we have ordered food, we let him have a milkshake or something out of the vending machine, ANYTHING! But today we are going to try something new. I have made a sticker chart for his eating and drinking. I’m praying this helps to get him over this slump. (Of course it has been steroid week, so that should help today. 🙂 )

We raised $500 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. 

If you look hard in this picture, not only will you see Waldo, but you will see iv pumps and wheel chairs, you might even see the back of a boys head that has been shaved from brain surgery.

St. Jude does such a great job trying to lift the spirit of the patients and their family. They have art time and movie time in the lobby, they allow companies to come in and bring donations. But their trick or treating party is the biggest event that the hospital puts on each year. Each department makes a booth and gives out handfuls AND handfuls of candy.

St. Jude knows that for their patients, a little sugar pales in comparison to what the kids are facing. They know that for some kids, they can’t get out and go trick or treating like their friends or siblings can because they may be attached to a iv pump, or they might have low counts. They know that this might be even be the child’s last Halloween. They also know that for this one day the kids that look different; the ones with scars on their heads, with no hair, or only a few strands of hair, the ones whose eyes look different or the ones that need crutches or wheelchairs, for this ONE day, these kids can look like normal kids and hopefully feel normal.

Some friends took Flat Noah on a trip to Italy. He had such a good time, he decided to stay and travel the country side. (He slipped out of the window on the train. 🙂 )