Basketball, pizza party, and hair loss

So much has happened since Jacob’s graduation 18 days ago.  Official diagnosis. Port surgery. Chemo began. The horrible side effects hit full on and furiously. Jacob’s first ambulance ride for fever. In the last 17 days, 15 have been in the hospital and 2 have been at home. Graduation feels like a lifetime ago now.

Today was a mostly good day even though we didn’t get the news we wanted. Jacob’s counts have dropped and we won’t be able to leave now until they see them rising.  There is no sign of infection in his blood cultures but because his neutrophils are at 0.1, he’s at high risk of picking up infection and getting more fevers which would only send us back. His hemoglobin is at 8, so he is exhausted. The doctor thinks that blood transfusions next week are likely.

We did book 3 nights in Vancouver for a “holiday” but with Jacob being so tired and still not knowing when we will be dishcharged, I can’t see it happening. Jacob can handle about half an hour out of bed before he gets exhausted and pale and needs to lay down again.  His hair loss has really started now and chunks of hair are coming out at a time now.  As I write this he his busy pulling it out try to give himself a receding hair line. 😂 Noah and Kaleb each took a turn pulling some out as well.

Ray and the three boys visited us for the afternoon and evening.  We played basketball on the patio and ordered pizza for dinner, then went back to the room and watched a movie together. It is so good to be together.  Evan is having a hard time with this all, missing Jacob and myself badly. It hurts so much to see. It’s tough seeing everyone leaving on their summer holidays knowing our kids will have a very different summer. We look forward to summer from the day school begins in September.  We thrive in summer as a family.  Camping. Canoeing. Hiking. Lake days. Lake evenings. River walks. Bike rides. Campfires.  Late nights laying on the trampoline looking at the stars. Working as a family in the hop fields. Lazy mornings.  It is definitely the best time of our year.  I hope that somewhere in the next couple months we can give the kids some fun summer memories despite this all.

We discovered a toddler basketball net and a ball so when Jacob is rested we head to the patio to play. It’s been a lot of fun and even though it’s a little kid net, it’s been so good for Jacob to be able to shoot some hoops again. Only a few months ago he was winning All Star Awards at basketball tournaments.  He was so excited to get to high school and try out for the basketball team. It’s so hard to see him like this now. He needs help with everything, from getting out of bed to going to the bathroom, showering, getting food, getting out onto the patio etc.  Jacob was our biggest helper. On the farm. In the house. With the other kids. So athletic. So active. It’s still so surreal to me how much that has all changed. There has been so much to process in such a short time period. Jacob still has never complained once. Not one moment of feeling sorry for himself. He really does amaze me. He is a gift from God in our lives and we are going to fight this so hard to win.

Psalm 34:17-19