Dominic Replace 4.0 – Brown Eyed Baker

Hello everybody! I can’t imagine that we’re on the cusp of Labor Day and summer season coming to a detailed. The final 5 to 6 months have been a complete blur and this summer season, specifically, has flown by. There’s been hospitals (chemo, stem cell harvest, surgical procedure), clinic appointments, and driving forwards and backwards to New York.

However, one foot in entrance of the opposite and sooner or later at a time, we’re grateful to be heading into a brand new season with a powerful boy and hearts filled with hope.

Dominic had a busy first few weeks of August…

???? First, he had a brand new set of scans (MRI + MIBG) plus one other bone marrow biopsy. The scans nonetheless present illness all through his bones however many of the spots are “dimmer” than earlier than, and the bone marrow involvement decreased by over 50{dec6368bedebdf057d87d131626af2042ecfbb18828150e6fb2bfff804592575}.

So, there may be nonetheless work to do, however there may be an enchancment. And! Dominic did each of the scans with out anesthesia (he has been sedated beforehand as a result of you need to lay fully nonetheless and the MIBG is over 2 hours). He’s a rock star.

???? Subsequent, he had his first spherical of immunotherapy. The antibody he’s given targets the protein of neuroblastoma cells and since they often sit on nerve cells, there may be vital nerve ache accompanying the therapy. The infusion is brief (45 minutes) however intense.

There’s loads of pre-medication and ache administration throughout and after, and he would principally sleep your entire remainder of the day afterward. However, the remedies are outpatient so no hospital stays, they usually don’t impression counts like chemotherapy, so no neutropenia or blood or platelet transfusions.

????‍♂️ Then, he crossed off one other massive hurdle… radiation. He did this awake with no anesthesia as nicely… twice a day for 5 days, he was strapped down utilizing a particular masks that was molded to his head and higher physique to maintain his head and neck in the very same place every time (his clavicle was radiated as a result of cluster of diseased lymph nodes that had been there, in addition to the tumor mattress in his stomach). A tremendous lady who works there has the children decide what they need their masks to be after which customized paints them… Dominic selected Iron Man. There are some extremely particular individuals on this world.

He may additionally decide no matter music he wished to be piped in every time and selected Christmas music day-after-day ???????? He completely rocked it and the individuals working there have been completely phenomenal.

➡️ Subsequent… we get to be house for a few weeks, then it’s again to NY for one more spherical of immunotherapy, a brand new set of scans, and one other bone marrow biopsy. 

???? Within the meantime, he began kindergarten this week! He’ll be becoming a member of class just about till his oncologist offers him the go-ahead to attend in particular person, which we’re hoping can be late September.

???? His eyebrows, eyelashes, AND hair have all began rising again! He’s had a ton of vitality, has gained again the entire weight he misplaced after surgical procedure and that final spherical of chemo and is in any other case doing actually, very well.

❤️ Thanks all in your continued prayers, it means a lot to our household.