The Brands: Guess where we are?

Friday, July 2, 2010

Guess where we are?

We received a gift today: a surprise opportunity to come home for the afternoon. We didn't know that when we woke up this morning, but the doctor came in at noon and said we'd be able to have some time away this afternoon. We had a fantastic time. It was so strange to be driving out of the parking garage with Caleb in the van. Dad even finished his work day early and we were all home together for a few hours. Gorgeous weather, backyard barbeque, dinner outside. It was wonderful. Tonight Grandma is spending the night with Caleb, a sleep over. Caleb was pumped about that, and Mom gets a chance to be home tonight. We pray that all goes well tonight, that Caleb's blood counts are good tomorrow and we can come home again for a visit. Moment by moment, things are so encouraging. Thank you for your prayers, and please keep praying for more good times like this.

7 comments:

Jen said...: So awesome! And what perfect weather for a trip home.; July 2, 2010 at 11:24 PM
Unknown said...: Yay! We're so glad you could have some quality time at home. So good for the soul!
Much love!
Tam; July 3, 2010 at 12:11 AM
d said...: Hooray for lawn mowers, sunshine, and time on the steps of your house. Here's hoping for more visits to the house, and maybe a sleepover at home! spot; July 3, 2010 at 10:42 AM
anya genevieve said...: I'm so happy for you all and especially for Caleb to get a chance to be outside, at home, with all his family around, and free of IVs!! Enjoy your day together and celebrate the small things ~ which end up becoming BIG things when a life's balance takes such a huge shift like it has for Caleb and your family. Caleb buddy, Have a 'blast' at your sleepover tonight with Grandma and hope to talk and see you again soon!! hugs, kisses & prayers, anya; July 3, 2010 at 4:17 PM
the other Nella said...: Wow ,what a treat and what a beautiful picture! Caleb looks fabulous. (So do you Jess)Praise the Lord for those precious hours of time together and for Grandma too. Love ,The other Nella; July 3, 2010 at 9:11 PM
Unknown said...: So happy you and Caleb could get home for the day! He looks so happy to be out in the sunshine, and what a beautiful day it was. Kyleigh sends hugs for everyone! You have done a great job with this blog, it is so nice to have updates. Praying for lots more trips home soon!
Julie; July 3, 2010 at 9:35 PM
KUPANDA STUDIO said...: Thank you for all your posts. They have been an encouragement for me, reminding me that His mercy is new every morning and great is His faithfulness.
blessings, phyllis; July 9, 2010 at 10:48 AM

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What is ALL?

Caleb has ALL, a form of leukemia. From what I understand (here's the dummy's guide to leukemia), leukemia means that something has gone wrong in blood cell production.

Blood is made up of 3 main parts, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The red blood cells do things like carry oxygen and nutrients through your body. The white blood cells fight infections and keep you healthy. The platelets glue it all together. (I did say this was the dummy's guide, remember.) Bone marrow is where these cells are made and released into the blood stream.

In Caleb's leukemia, his bone marrow is producing the 3 kinds of cells, but some of the white blood cells are being made wrong. These white blood cells are not maturing, they don't perform any function, and they aren't dying off. They take up space, and made it so that Caleb's red blood cells, functioning white cells, and platelets were having a hard time doing their jobs, and the production of the blasts was taking over. This is why before we were admitted to the hospital, Caleb was tired and pale. His blood just wasn't able to do what it should do.

Chemo treatments are designed to kill back the blasts. The only way to do this has a lot of extra damage (collateral damage) as well, which we see in side effects like hair loss and need for blood transfusions. Because chemo also knocks back regular blood cells, Caleb needs blood and platelet transfusions to replace what is being lost through treatment. White blood cells cannot be transfused, which is why he has nothing to fight off infections. We can't replace those ones. When the drugs are less intense and his body can gradually go back to doing what it should be doing, white blood cell production should return. We will have to be careful for a long time, though.

Hair loss occurs because cells that are replaced often in our body, like hair, can't keep up production. The cells die off faster than they are replaced. Other fast growing/often replaced cells are in our mouths and our nails. These are all affected.

I hope my dummy's guide to leukemia makes sense. It's the way I currently understand things. People in the health care profession may cringe at my descriptions, but hopefully it's accurate enough to explain what Caleb's going through. Maybe it will help you explain it to your kids. For now, we just say we're blasting blasts.

We are the Brands

We are three kids, two parents, and one dog. And too many fish. We love our city, time in the outdoors, playing soccer, camping, and making music. Our faith is central to our lives.

On June 23, pieces of what had previously been a concerning question about our son Caleb's health came together in a diagnosis of leukemia. It all happened rather quickly, after bringing him to the ER at McMaster hospital on Monday, June 21. We're absorbing this news, and trying to learn how to cope with leukemia and a young family. Our hearts are torn, but we feel the love of many.

This blog is intended to share with our loved ones and their loved ones what is happening for Caleb and the rest of us. I must say that it is possibly as much information-giving as it is therapeutic writing. Thank you for taking the time to share with us our experience. We find strength in numbers, and in shared experiences.