Howdy close friends!
I hope that your summer season has been certainly superb ☀️
I’m popping in today to supply an update on Dominic so many of you have published and asked how he is accomplishing, and how the surgery went, and I thank you for your endurance!
First, a Thank You
The outpouring of lovely playing cards, postcards, and items that have been despatched to my PO box has been so heartwarming. Our family members is wholly and utterly humbled by your thoughtfulness, and we thank you from the base of our hearts for taking time out of your day to do a thing that would convey a smile to Dominic’s experience ❤️ THANK YOU!
Medical procedures Update
Dominic had his tumor resection operation on Monday, June 20th at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York. He went into the operating room at 9:30am and arrived in his place in the pediatric ICU around 6:45pm. Leaving him in that working area was intestine-wrenching, but an OR nurse was in a position to give updates on a frequent foundation during the working day, which designed all of the waiting around much much less agonizing. The surgeon was equipped to remove his whole tumor, as properly as all of the diseased lymph nodes that have been discovered in his neck, abdomen, and pelvis. He was secure all through the total operation, lost quite minimal blood, and only stayed in the ICU for two times.
The surgical procedure just could not have gone any better and we are just so grateful to the surgeon and for all of the prayers that were sent up for Dominic and the surgical staff that day. There is just one rogue lymph node down below his still left clavicle that the surgeon knew going in wasn’t ready to be reached from both the neck or the thoracoabdominal incision. It will be re-scanned and either eradicated by means of a scope procedure or if it has shrunk plenty of, radiated.
Recovery was extremely gradual likely the first number of times getting just a couple measures was challenging for Dominic and it was so difficult to see him battling and turning out to be exhausted by these types of uncomplicated actions. He had a upper body tube and catheter for 4 times write-up-medical procedures, and an stomach drain for a 7 days, which didn’t assistance! But it was also wonderful to see what a distinction just a couple of days could make. Performing with PT and OT was excellent and within a 7 days he was strolling back and forth to the playroom in the medical center.
A pair of days immediately after surgical procedures, they uncovered a chylous leak (fundamentally, fat leaking via the lymphatic system), which we were being told beforehand would be a probability since so several lymph nodes would be removed. It was the only serious complication write-up-surgical procedure they taken care of it with medicine and a lower-fats food plan for about 5 days and it solved.
A 7 days immediately after surgical procedure, Dominic commenced his fourth spherical of chemo. This a person hit him the hardest, very likely due to the fact he was however recovering from surgical treatment, he missing his appetite for a range of times, experienced some nausea, and was much more worn out than usual. We have been able to head again household after that cycle of chemo was complete, 11 times right after his surgery.
Back Home
The surgeon indicated that entire restoration will choose about two months, but that going for walks and light exercise is wonderful for him, so he begun by going for walks our driveway and cul de sac and acquired back again on his pedal kart bicycle (bicycle riding was health care provider-authorised) for some straightforward rides. He has slowly regained a great deal of power, as properly as assortment of movement, and is driving his bicycle more rapidly and is up and playing like normal.
1 of our major hurdles because receiving house is that he just was not again to himself for pretty some time, which we had been advised was totally ordinary. He was lethargic, not talkative, not intrigued in taking part in, and we all skipped our Dominic!
Portion of the difficulty is that it took him a ton for a longer time to rebound from this final round of chemo than any of the previous rounds that he had. His white counts sat bottomed out at or in close proximity to zero for two entire months, and he desired 3 platelet transfusions and two blood transfusions in just a 7 days. We logged some Long times at clinic the 7 days soon after we received back again.
The other situation is that he experienced extended loss of appetite right after chemo and experienced continued to drop weight (and he was very little to start off with!). As a final result, the medical practitioners commenced him on an urge for food stimulant a 7 days in the past and it appears to have kicked in around the past few of times simply because he’s been ingesting so substantially improved and acquired a very little more than a half pound considering the fact that his clinic appointment final 7 days.
All of his counts started out coming back again up in the previous pair of times and he has not desired any transfusions considering that early previous week. We’re so grateful he’s having again to his previous self, little by little but certainly!
Future Steps…
Subsequent 7 days, Dominic will endure a battery of scans and a bone marrow biopsy to see the specific position of the disease put up-surgical procedure and following completion of chemo.
Shortly thereafter, he’ll get started his initially spherical of immunotherapy antibody treatment plans, and then have radiation. The for a longer period-phrase system is that he will have at minimum 5 rounds of immunotherapy solutions, spaced out about a thirty day period apart. Scans will be finished after just about every two rounds to see how points are searching. Asking for lots of prayers that we get clear scans as quickly as possible 🙏🏻
Thank you all so substantially yet again, for achieving out and inquiring about Dominic, for trying to keep him in your prayers, for showering him with playing cards, and for continuing to love on us as a relatives. We come to feel you, and your kindness and prayers carry us up and give us strength.
I’ll share another update right after we get by means of our next steps! In the meantime, we’re soaking up every one working day that we can all devote time with each other beneath one roof ❤️
