The nurse comes to take blood, we're not even out of bed yet. Alex cries and cries and there is nothing I can say to help him.
Breakfast comes around eight o'clock. Alex hasn't been eating very much he just picks at his food.
We're waiting for the test results. My stomach is in a knot, my jaws been aching for days. I've started to get a headache.
Mom and Dad come around two o'clock.
Charlie and I are at their place and we're just about to have something to eat when Dad comes home. He tried to call but the phone at the hospital is not working.
Dr. R wants to talk to us about the test results. So we all go back to the hospital. Dr. R takes us into his office and tells us Alex has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Alex has a 95% chance of being cured and a 60% chance of the Leukemia coming back. Dr R then says because Alex's white blood cells are so low he cannot go to public places such as malls, restaurants, etc for one year.
Dr R hands us a little booklet explaining the treatment and asks us to read it through. The doctor also states that Alex can be put on a research program and that the treatment is the same for the research and the non research.
The clinical nurse then introduces herself to us. Her name is Sheila and she is there to help the children get through their ordeal. If we have any questions, she is there for us.
Dr. R comes back and tells us if at any time we want to take Alex out of the research program we can.
Dr R and Sheila leave, we read over the treatment program. After we finish reading, I look for Dr R but he isn't there so we go back to Alex's room. We tell Mom and Dad the results. Dr R comes to Alex's room and we sign the papers.
Mom and Dad told us to go for dinner as it is now about four thirty. When we come back Alex has already had his chemotherapy. They had to take his I.V. out and put in another one. Alex was crying when we got back, when they started the chemotherapy it burnt his arm going in.
Alex also has leg pains which seemed to have started about the same time. Alex was given Tylenol and we got a hot water bottle to help relieve the pain. He also wants us to keep rubbing his legs.
Lucy and Shirley Chan came to visit just after we came back, we had met them at the mall. It's really difficult telling people about Alex and his condition. People always ask so many question it's hard to answer everyone. Lucy asked if the dog bite Alex had when he was 2 years old had anything to do with Alex getting Cancer. I found that quite upsetting. It makes me feel like it was my fault.
Shirley, Aaron, Brent and Monique arrive at six thirty. Alex didn't want to talk or do anything with Brent as he was just getting over the pain in his legs. Charlie and I had to keep rubbing Alex's legs. If we stop he cries and yells.
Aaron, Brent and Monique went home, Shirley stayed with us. Charlie went into the parents lounge while Shirley and I sat with Alex. Shirley is the only one I can tell how I feel about everything. I really don't know what I would do if I hadn't had Shirley as a friend. She's been there when I needed someone.
Shirley stayed with Alex while I got ready for bed. I told Charlie to go home around eleven o'clock. Charlie drove Shirley home. Alex and I went to sleep soon after.
Test results
WBC 19.0
HGB 7.5
Platelets 76,000
ANC 824
Blast 13,173
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