Notifications Courage 22 minutes ago “Courage is found in unlikely places.” ~J.R.R. Tolkien As Patrick strung the pile of beds each representing either a procedure, a treatment, a special person, or a side effect like his hair falling out or a bump in the road, the “Beads of Courage” program did just what it is designed to do. . . offer a visual representation of the journey that Patrick and family have been going through over the past 13 months. I’m going to make sure there is a bead with a big smile on it, because no matter what hand Patrick is dealt, he continues to show intense courage and an unbelievably positive attitude day after day. This week brings new challenges and decisions as the latest blood tests show some leukemia cells still in Patrick’s blood following this last round of chemo. On Wednesday they will do another bone marrow aspiration to get more detailed information which will help determine the next step in the fight. Tests also indicated the presence of a new genetic marker that was not there before, another visible reminder of the constantly changing cells which makes treating cancer and other diseases extra challenging. Research continues to make big strides and one is identifying next level genetic markers like this and then creating targeted treatment protocols with even better results. Since many of these findings are new and on-going, treatments are often through clinical studies since the FDA approved process can often be both long and arduous. So what does that mean for Patrick? After they get test results later this week, they will decide whether to continue the next round of chemo at CHLA as planned or change course and move to another study, which will likely mean another hospital in a location to be determined. Each study has a time frame, special qualifiers and the doctors and family need to find one that is the right fit if this is the next step. The family continues to stay strong and spends their days and nights playing games, watching movies and hanging out spending quality time. Grandma and Grandpa Lewis have learned how to use the Metro and now ride the train for their almost daily trips to the hospital. Aunt, cousins and stepdad from Tennessee visited last week so that was a nice break for everyone. Think about how you show courage every day and how you impact all those around you. It so often the little things that matter most.
Posted on: Tue, 06 Aug 2013 03:11:46 +0000
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