Delayed Intensification

After many beautiful and peaceful weeks now where Lucas was able to go to school, play, go to the park and NO side effects of his chemo, we are entering a new phase now on December, 10. DELAYED INTENSIFICATION, is the name of this fourth phase of our treatment that will not only safe his life but also - assuming everything goes well - bring us to Maintenance.

This phase will last for 56 days (= 8 weeks) and he will get 8 different medications, 5 of them are unknown to Lucas body. It's a very intense Chemotherapy so we are holding our breath since the list of side effects is long and scary.

Here are the dates we have so far:

Day # 1 = December, 10: He gets a lumbar puncture and also Vinchristine (handled pretty well in the past), doxorubisin (he never got before), dexamethasone (handled pretty well in the past) and methotrexate by spinal tab.

So that's a big day for us and the next "big day" will be December, 15, when Lucas gets the PEG medication that everybody fears since the side effects include joint pain and nausea and a long list of other stuff we rather don't think about.

The thing, I guess, that scares me most is pain. His joint pain in the hospital for so bad that they had to give him Morphine, I wonder what I do from home when it gets so bad. They keep telling me I can always call so I guess that's what I'll do a lot.....

Keep your fingers crossed guys, we are in for the big fight now. It will be all worth it, I know that. I'm still pretty nerve-wrecked, Lucas is in such a good mood lately, he has no idea......