Dominic Replace 2.0 - Brown Eyed Baker

July 19, 2022

Hello pals, I hope you all have been effectively and that you're kicking off summer time in one of the best ways doable!

So lots of you may have reached out to ask how Dominic is doing and whereas I share a fast image on Instagram tales sometimes, I needed to pop in shortly to provide you an replace.

Since I final wrote, Dominic has accomplished cycles two and three of chemotherapy. Each made him sick in the future of the remedy however with a tweak of the nausea meds, he was feeling higher.

His new favourite in-hospital exercise? Music remedy! He will get such a giant kick out of taking part in the devices 😁

He's additionally VERY into each day bingo 😍

On the final day of his second cycle, he had the chance to tour the helicopter pad on the hospital roof, which he LOVED. The view was superb and we realized a number of enjoyable information (mother loves a very good discipline journey, ha)!

Whereas house, he continues to play and just about enjoys life as traditional, together with a number of exterior time now that it’s good out!

Street Journey

Between rounds two and three of chemotherapy, we traveled to New York for Dominic to be seen at Memorial Sloan Kettering, the place they've a workforce of pediatric oncologists who concentrate on neuroblastoma.

He's being handled below their steerage, up to now receiving all of his chemotherapy right here in Pittsburgh, however we are going to journey there for his tumor elimination surgical procedure.

We each had our first Uber journey, had Shake Shack for the primary time (SO GOOD), and Dominic had his first keep in a lodge. A profitable journey, however there's really no place like house!

Our New Regular

We're getting very used to the indicators of low hemoglobin (two days in a row of taking extra drink breaks than traditional whereas taking part in exterior? We guessed he was going to wish blood when he went to his clinic appointment the subsequent day and, positive sufficient, he did) and low platelets (extra bruising). He has had a number of transfusions of each since starting this journey, so a fantastic large thanks to anybody who has ever donated blood, as we are actually a lot extra aware of the significance of this selfless act.

Hemoglobin, platelets, white cell counts, neutrophils, and ANC numbers are actually simply frequent dialogue right here.

We’ve all type of settled into our new routine of remedies, journeys to the hospital, managing medicines, line flushing, and so forth.

The largest hurdle since this final cycle of chemotherapy is that we've got needed to give Dominic each day pictures (vs the one-time pictures after the primary and second rounds) and it's the absolute worst. He has at all times hated pictures and he simply dreads them, I get anxious, and it’s only a entire SCENE. The each day pictures had been utilized due to his upcoming stem cell harvest, to make sure his counts had been strong (see under).

Subsequent Steps

This coming week, Dominic could have a stem cell harvest, the place they'll insert a brief line to extract stem cells (which is able to then be saved) ought to he want them in any capability throughout remedy down the highway. It's our hope that he wouldn't, however they are going to be there if he does.

The following large step is in two weeks when he could have his tumor elimination surgical procedure. Following the surgical procedure, he could have one other spherical of chemotherapy after which a couple of weeks after that, a battery of assessments and scans to see the place we stand with the illness.

Please proceed to hope that the most cancers is responding to remedy, that the surgeons are capable of take away the tumor safely and successfully, and that he has a comparatively straightforward restoration.