As mentioned in the last blog, Jayson was in in the middle of his 2nd round of chemotherapy when we said “good-bye” to 2011 and “hello” to 2102. Unfortunately, our family was not all together to welcome the new year. Jayson welcomed 2012 quietly with his dad in the hospital, while the rest of the family was at home. However, we did get together later that day.
Jayson was discharged from the hospital on the evening of January 2. We then tried to get into some normal routine that week. I tried to spend some time with our other kids, especially, our youngest, Keilani. I accompanied her to her ballet/tap class, volunteered at her pre-school and took her several times to the library. During this week, we also watched the “Mr. Bayanihan” male pageant hosted by Kristen’s high school Bayanihan club to help raise money for flood victims in the Philippines. Kristen was one of the students in charge of the show and had been busy preparing for it since early December. She was also one of the MC (Master of Ceremony) for the show and she did a great job. We are so proud of her for overcoming her nerves. It was rewarding to see how her hard work and long hours paid off with a successful pageant.
The following week, Jayson was scheduled to begin his 3rd round of chemo on January 11th, but his platelet number was too low, so chemo was rescheduled for today, January 15th. The second week was spent taking care of our normal routines as well as planning and preparing for Jayson’s birthday party. Due to the uncertainty of Jayson’s actual chemo treatment, planning for his birthday party was almost last minute. Luckily, we had many family & friends who helped us with it.
Jayson turned 14 yesterday, January 14th. We celebrated with a party for him at Hilltop Community Park near our home. It was a beautiful day and the view from the hilltop was amazing despite some overcast. Jayson enjoyed his favorite salted pepper chicken wings, chocolate cake and fresh air, but more importantly, he had a great time just hanging out and laughing with family and friends. We had many family members who traveled down from the L.A. area to join us. It was great to be able to thank people in person for their prayers and support. I wish we were able to invite more people and celebrate longer. However, Jayson had chemo scheduled the following morning and we didn’t want him to get too tired or overwhelmed by the attention. For those who weren’t able to come, I’m sure there will be more opportunities to visit Jayson. Jayson was tired when the party ended in the mid-afternoon, but the smile on his face and his gratitude told us he had a great day.
Today, my dad and I brought Jayson in to NMCSD 8 in the morning. His vitals were checked and blood was drawn. The results of the blood work indicated his body was ready for chemo. He was given fluids through his IV for 6 hours to keep him hydrated. Right now, he will be given anti-nausea medications. Once this is completed, they will begin his chemo medications. He’s spent most of today resting or sleeping and I expect it to be a quiet day. We’ll be here 2-3 days and we hope that the common side effects of his chemo meds will continue to be mild.
Thank you once again for your thoughts, prayers and warm wishes for Jayson and our family. Not a day goes by that we aren’t grateful for all the support and blessings we receive. Happy New Year to all!
