Hi pals!
I hope that your summertime has been certainly fantastic ☀️
I’m popping in now to present an update on Dominic so many of you have penned and asked how he is accomplishing, and how the surgical treatment went, and I thank you for your endurance!
Very first, a Thank You
The outpouring of attractive cards, postcards, and presents that have been sent to my PO box has been so heartwarming. Our relatives is absolutely and totally humbled by your thoughtfulness, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for taking time out of your working day to do a thing that would convey a smile to Dominic’s experience ❤️ THANK YOU!
Surgical treatment Update
Dominic had his tumor resection surgical treatment on Monday, June 20th at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York. He went into the functioning home at 9:30am and arrived in his space in the pediatric ICU all over 6:45pm. Leaving him in that running place was intestine-wrenching, but an OR nurse was in a position to supply updates on a typical basis throughout the day, which manufactured all of the waiting considerably much less agonizing. The surgeon was ready to take out his overall tumor, as nicely as all of the diseased lymph nodes that were recognized in his neck, stomach, and pelvis. He was steady throughout the full operation, misplaced quite minimal blood, and only stayed in the ICU for two times.
The operation merely could not have absent any far better and we are just so grateful to the surgeon and for all of the prayers that ended up sent up for Dominic and the surgical group that working day. There is 1 rogue lymph node below his remaining clavicle that the surgeon knew going in wasn’t ready to be achieved from either the neck or the thoracoabdominal incision. It will be re-scanned and possibly taken out by means of a scope technique or if it has shrunk enough, radiated.
Restoration was quite sluggish going the very first handful of days getting just a handful of ways was really hard for Dominic and it was so complicated to see him struggling and starting to be fatigued by these types of uncomplicated movements. He had a upper body tube and catheter for four days post-operation, and an abdominal drain for a 7 days, which didn’t help! But it was also amazing to see what a variance just a few of days could make. Doing work with PT and OT was amazing and inside of a 7 days he was strolling back again and forth to the playroom in the hospital.
A few of times right after operation, they learned a chylous leak (essentially, excess fat leaking by the lymphatic procedure), which we had been advised beforehand would be a likelihood for the reason that so several lymph nodes would be taken off. It was the only genuine complication write-up-surgery they taken care of it with medicine and a small-extra fat diet regime for about 5 times and it resolved.
A 7 days soon after surgical procedures, Dominic began his fourth spherical of chemo. This one particular hit him the most difficult, possible due to the fact he was continue to recovering from operation, he missing his hunger for a amount of days, experienced some nausea, and was additional worn out than standard. We were ready to head back again household just after that cycle of chemo was total, 11 days immediately after his operation.
Back again Residence
The surgeon indicated that complete recovery will take about two months, but that strolling and mild exercising is great for him, so he begun by strolling our driveway and cul de sac and got back again on his pedal kart bicycle (bike using was physician-accepted) for some uncomplicated rides. He has progressively regained a great deal of energy, as effectively as array of movement, and is driving his bicycle faster and is up and playing like typical.
Just one of our major hurdles considering that obtaining residence is that he just wasn’t back to himself for fairly some time, which we experienced been informed was wholly regular. He was lethargic, not talkative, not fascinated in playing, and we all skipped our Dominic!
Portion of the difficulty is that it took him a whole lot lengthier to rebound from this very last round of chemo than any of the past rounds that he had. His white counts sat bottomed out at or close to zero for two full weeks, and he wanted 3 platelet transfusions and two blood transfusions in a 7 days. We logged some Extensive days at clinic the 7 days following we obtained again.
The other situation is that he experienced prolonged decline of appetite immediately after chemo and experienced ongoing to shed bodyweight (and he was little to start with!). As a end result, the medical practitioners started off him on an urge for food stimulant a week in the past and it seems to have kicked in around the last pair of times because he’s been consuming so considerably improved and obtained a tiny more than a 50 percent pound considering the fact that his clinic appointment final 7 days.
All of his counts commenced coming again up in the final couple of times and he has not essential any transfusions given that early last 7 days. We’re so grateful he’s finding back again to his outdated self, slowly but definitely!
Upcoming Steps…
Following week, Dominic will go through a battery of scans and a bone marrow biopsy to see the correct status of the condition put up-surgical treatment and right after completion of chemo.
Soon thereafter, he’ll start his to start with round of immunotherapy antibody treatments, and then have radiation. The longer-term prepare is that he will have at the very least 5 rounds of immunotherapy solutions, spaced out about a month apart. Scans will be done soon after just about every two rounds to see how matters are seeking. Inquiring for loads of prayers that we get clean up scans as before long as possible 🙏🏻
Thank you all so substantially all over again, for achieving out and asking about Dominic, for keeping him in your prayers, for showering him with playing cards, and for continuing to enjoy on us as a family members. We come to feel you, and your kindness and prayers carry us up and give us power.
I’ll share yet another update right after we get through our future ways! In the meantime, we’re soaking up every single single working day that we can all spend time with each other under one roof ❤️
