Posts by Emily the Mom-cologist

Today is a big signpost in our treatment. This is the exact half-way point. We’ve endured 600 days of chemo. We have 600 more days to go. When I told Ethan today was half way day, he responded with his typical smile and hug. This boy, I tell you, he is so even-keeled. I however am a little more emotional about this day. It feels big. 600 days is such a huge triumph but then I realize I have the same amount to do and I feel overwhelmed again. 1200 days is such a large chunk of Ethan’s childhood. We are doing our best to redeem this time and embrace life but I just can’t kick the feeling that it should not be this way. We shouldn’t ask children to suffer for so long when we have so much technology and talent at our disposal. We spend more...

I’m certain I share with many of you a deep sadness over the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary. It has been a mingle of emotions for me: shock, anger, numbness. We have experienced so much grief in the last three years I sometimes wonder how much more I can process. When my brother was suddenly and tragically killed on January 29, 2010 it felt like my world fell out of orbit. There was no warning, no saying goodbye, no time to prepare my heart. Just pure, unadulterated pain. An empty hole. When my son was diagnosed with leukemia on February 1, 2012 it was different. A slow, persistant undertone of fear. I’ve stared down the possibility of losing my son for almost a year now. It’s like an aching tug on my heart. As if I can feel the pull of...

Just wanted to update you about Ethan’s treatment. We are well into maintenance chemotherapy now. He receives different oral chemotherapy medication daily, weekly & monthly. Plus IV and spinal chemotherapy monthly. We are getting used to the routine and it’s nice to know that it will be exactly the same thing until we finish on May 14, 2015. Recently Ethan’s liver freaked out and we had to take 10 days off chemo. Fortunately it seems to be back on track and handling things well now. He continues to amaze me with his great attitude. He always reminds me as he is getting ready for bed that he needs his medicine and he happily goes to appointments for blood checks. Mostly he is very proud of all the hair he is growing!! Thank you for your...

The first day of our Make a Wish trip had it’s ups and downs, as always with travel. SeaTac went all out for us this morning. We had eight Port of Seattle police officers come to the gate with their 3-wheel Segway and the bomb sniffing dog. Ethan got to ride the Segway and Elyse loved the dog, of course. Then the huge airport firetrucks (they are neon yellow!) rolled up on the tarmac outside our gate. Ethan was escorted out and down to the trucks where he got to climb around and wear the firemen’s hat. Then we got to go on the plane extra early so Ethan could visit with the pilots. When we were airbourne the pilot came on the speaker and told everyone about Ethan being on the plane to go on his Make a Wish trip. Then he said he was going to do a half...

Today is October 1st. Exactly eight months since Ethan was diagnosed. Yesterday was the last day of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Now for the entire month of October you will see a wash of pink. Pink ribbons on products in every store. Pink shoes on football players in the NFL. Pink. Pink. Pink for breast cancer awareness. What you may not realize is that breast cancer is the most well funded of all when it comes to cancer research.  In just one year of funding — 2007 — the National Cancer Institute (NCI) spent $572.4 million on breast cancer research. That same year, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) spent an additional $705 million. The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation had total revenues that year of nearly $162 million. That is over 1...