Pictures

The top 2 pics are leaving Caleb's room for the last time. This is Caleb's favorite PA, Erin, helping cut the cookie she brought for him ( she got a hug finally). Then there is Caleb in his bed on his last day, smiling!!! That is the poster that his favorite nurse, Jessica, made for him and the pizza box top that she wrote on, before she brought it to him. When he read the poster he looked up and grinned at me and said " I am loved". He has no idea how much. They should warn people before they have kids that because you love them sooo much you will have great pain also. He is a beautiful little man child.

The light at the end...

Well we are home from Caleb's last chemo. We are very happy and excited, Caleb has not shown much emotion about this until we were in the hospital doing the last treatment and the closer it came to the end the more animated he became. He gave hugs, made certificates, talked, joked and played with the nurses and Erin his favorite PA. He will go in on the 3rd and have his scans done and then on the 8th we have an appointment with his Dr. to go over everything. We are believing and thanking God in advance for clear scans. He has an appointment tomorrow at Scott Sabolich but I think I may put it off until after Thanksgiving. He wants to go to school so I think I may let him do that tomorrow. My house is a complete wreck, we are in the process of replacing the living room ceiling and everything is torn apart. I have to catch up on everything from being gone for 5 days so I think I'll try to do that over the next 2 or 3 days and letting him go to school tomorrow will help us both I think. Tomorrow marks the 9 month anniversary of Caleb's first chemo treatment, so it is only fitting that today was the last day. He is...there just are not any words. I am so, so, very...grateful doesn't do it justice. I don't think there is a word for what I feel inside, but God knows, He knows. I am excited for the future, I am ready to get on with life, to get out of this limbo that we have been living in, and so is Caleb. He is smiling, and hugging, interacting in a way that he NEVER has before. Jacob and Scott need some attention from me, we need some overdue family time. I have grandkids that barely know me, they are precious and I would like to spend some time with them. We have been given a second chance and I am praying that I don't ever take it for granted again.

The pictures are of Caleb's last room, the view from his room and him kickin back. I will add more from this last visit tomorrow. Right now, I am going to bed I think.

1 Thess. 5:16-18 Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

counting down...

We are on day 4 of 5! We don't know yet what time we get out of here tomorrow but I am fairly certain it will be tomorrow afternoon. Caleb has slept most of the time but when he is awake he is actually talking and joking with the nurses. I think it is finally sinking in that this is the last treatment. Pastor Doug came up yesterday and gave Caleb a brand new, still in the box, X-Box 360! That made for a very happy little boy! Excuse me, young man (rolling eyes profusely). He gave one of his football's and a hat to Pastor Doug. Pastor Doug knows someone that is going through the cancer fight and they are having a benefit auction to help, so we told him to donate those things. I hope it helps. I hate cancer! Until this happened I was oblivious as to how many people have it, or have had it. I didn't have a clue about how many children suffer from it. You get an education real quick and you don't even have to try, everyone you talk to knows someone or is someone that has it or did have it at one time. I could go on a tirade about why there is no cure, but it won't help. The next time you want to donate to a worthy cause, donate to childhood cancer research, they need it! Kids like my Caleb need your help!!! Ok, I'll try to get a little more upbeat... One of Caleb's nurses brought him pizza Thursday night and a movie to watch, he in turn gave her the much coveted "your my favorite nurse" award by hugging her neck! Yes, HE held out his arms for a hug not the other way around!!! She also made him a poster and when he finally noticed it and looked it over really good, he looked up at me and grinned his sweet little boy grin and said " people love me". Oh, I love these nurses! They have been so good to him, there are no words, our cup runneth over.
Luke 6:38 Give and it will be given to you. a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running, over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Home stretch...

Well folks, we are on the home stretch. We came in yesterday morning for Caleb's last chemo, they did a GFR scan and an echo before they started his chemo so there are 2 tests out of the way already. We will be here until Sunday and then we go home! He will have to come back for more scans and then we start bringing him back every three months for checkups and he will still have to come to the city to see his prosthesis tech. He asked to go to school on Monday but he has an appointment with Kyle, his prosthesis tech. to see how he is doing with his leg, so I told him if he will start wearing the leg then he can go to school on Tuesday, he complied. He is sleeping right now and has been since yesterday evening, he had to have nausea medicine and that always knocks him out for a good long time. Bob Stoops came in again today and yes, Caleb was sleeping again!!! He got another hat, he woke up to go to the restroom and I showed him the hat and he likes it and then off to sleep he went. We got a big room this time, with a sofa that folds out, soooooooooo much better than the new fold out chairs they have. You can't feel the wood frame on your hip every time you roll over!!! This makes me very happy. Caleb had one of my favorite nurses yesterday and another one of them today, I am hoping we get all our favorite ones this time so they can all sign his poster that will go in his scrap book. Caleb has been so blessed through all of this, yes, he has had half a dozen blood transfusions but from what I hear that is not very many! Only one platelet transfusion, he ran a fever one time and only for a few hours and it was gone, he has not been sick one time through this entire thing, that is a miracle. The phantom pain that we were so worried about went away as quickly as it came, very seldom does it hit him and when it does it doesn't last for very long and it is mostly just twinges, he isn't taking any pain meds or anxiety meds, the only medication that he takes is bactrim every weekend. I read stories about other kids that have various kinds of cancers and I am so grateful and so very proud of Caleb. He has never let this disease get the best of him, not once, the only time I can remember him crying is the day Dr. Smith recommended amputation, we all cried that day, I still cry. How many 12 year old kids have the courage to say "amputate"? How many can weigh the options, know themselves well enough to know what they can handle? I am a grown woman and I'm not sure that I could. He is still my hero, he is much more courageous than I.

1 Timothy 4:12 Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.

From Caleb's last chemo treatment,
Bob Stoop's came by while Caleb was
sleeping and left him a little something.