Hair is growing in!

Kipp Boot Camp

Carter is doing great. His hair has grown about ¼ of an inch, and he has eyebrows and eyelashes growing in. His last chemo treatment was July 22, so we are assuming if he’s done with chemo mid-October he should have a little hair again by Christmas. In talking to our friend, Allyson, who is going through chemo for breast cancer, she said it was pretty uncomfortable when her hair fell out. We’re hoping Carter won’t have to experience this feeling again in another three weeks, when it will most likely fall out. But, at least this will be the last time he’ll have to go through it. His face has also filled in a little, so I can see his dimple in his cheek again! It’s crazy though. He went from a chunky little toddler, to a long and lean little boy overnight. It makes me sad to think his chunky toddler phase is over, but I have to remember some of that “chunk” was a huge malignant tumor growing in his tummy. I think I’ll take the lean little boy with “roid rages” and all any day! He is still the sweetest little thing, but the steroids definitely shine through every so often…or the fact that he’s 2!

The oral meds post-transplant haven’t been as challenging as we thought they might be. Carter has been great about taking them. In the hospital we realized some were awful in liquid form, so we had them change the prescription to pills and we crush them and add strawberry syrup. This seems to work. Then, they added this huge oral med two times a day on Friday. Carter almost threw up after taking it. It’s a lot of medicine and it smells and tastes very medicinal. We are now mixing this with strawberry syrup too, which makes it an even larger med. Carter has been a little better with it though. We will definitely have to look into whether or not this comes in pill form as well.

Matt and Bennett were deciding today if they should go to the pool or the beach. THANK GOD they chose the beach. Apparently, there was a little boy with chicken pox at our neighborhood pool. That’s all we need is Bennett getting exposed to chicken pox and bringing it home! In our liver transplant manual it states that we are to call UCLA and alert them if Carter’s siblings or anyone he has been in contact with is exposed to chicken pox. This can be a very serious situation for a transplant recipient, especially because Carter was too young to have received his vaccine when he was diagnosed with cancer and began chemo treatments. Looks like they’ll steer clear of the pool and some of the kids in the neighborhood for a couple weeks!

Think good thoughts for 5 month old Seth, as he gets a liver transplant while I am writing this blog tonight. Fortunately, we know he is in the best hands. Our thoughts are with his family.