CHEMO STARTS
After our news that we were not going to Sydney as planned, we spent a day and night at home reorganising our lives. Kieran, Tara and Richard have gone to Sydney to help celebrate Richard’s nanna’s 100th birthday. Kieran and Tara will then go to the NSW South Coast with Richard’s family for the rest of the summer holidays.
After our short stay at home, Brendan returned to hospital to start his chemotherapy. Brendan was started on an internationally recommended chemotherapy protocol for Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML). Brendan will have 10 days of chemotherapy drugs followed by 20 days of recuperation. Over this time he will suffer all the horrible chemo side affects. After 30 days he will have another bone marrow biopsy to see how the treatment is working. He will then start another 30 days of the same protocol with the hope that the AML will then be in remission. Once he is in remission, we can head to Sydney to have his transplant. Over the last few weeks another potential bone marrow donor has been found. We now have time to follow up and see if they are a suitable match.
Brendan will be in hospital for the duration of his treatment in Adelaide. We will have a very small window of opportunity to have a few day outings with him before he becomes too unwell to leave the hospital. For the next few months, Adelaide Children’s Hospital will be his home. Brookman ward where Brendan is staying has a very caring a supportive environment. He has a room with a balcony and a view over a park. He has every electronic toy and game imaginable available to him.
So far Brendan is tolerating all the horrible medical procedures in his usual relaxed style. When he makes a fuss, it means he really needs our support. His time revolves around routine treatments that keep him well and reduce the chemo side effects and filling the long days with activities, games and electronic toys. He needs regular red blood cell and platelet transfusions. Even though Brendan has physically slowed down a lot, he has still managed to charm the nurses with his happy and cheeky personality.
Richard will be in Sydney for a night and will then return to Adelaide to finish things at work. He will then take some time off so that we can both care for Brendan when his chemo hits him full on. Brendan has accepted the changes in his usual relaxed way. He is sad that he won’t see Kieran and Tara for a few weeks.
We are hoping that our lap top computer can be set up to the hospital’s wireless internet soon. This will mean we can that we can keep Brendan’s blog up to date and send and receive emails without having to go home.
Will keep everyone up to date when we can.
Much love from Brendan and Anna
After our news that we were not going to Sydney as planned, we spent a day and night at home reorganising our lives. Kieran, Tara and Richard have gone to Sydney to help celebrate Richard’s nanna’s 100th birthday. Kieran and Tara will then go to the NSW South Coast with Richard’s family for the rest of the summer holidays.
After our short stay at home, Brendan returned to hospital to start his chemotherapy. Brendan was started on an internationally recommended chemotherapy protocol for Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML). Brendan will have 10 days of chemotherapy drugs followed by 20 days of recuperation. Over this time he will suffer all the horrible chemo side affects. After 30 days he will have another bone marrow biopsy to see how the treatment is working. He will then start another 30 days of the same protocol with the hope that the AML will then be in remission. Once he is in remission, we can head to Sydney to have his transplant. Over the last few weeks another potential bone marrow donor has been found. We now have time to follow up and see if they are a suitable match.
Brendan will be in hospital for the duration of his treatment in Adelaide. We will have a very small window of opportunity to have a few day outings with him before he becomes too unwell to leave the hospital. For the next few months, Adelaide Children’s Hospital will be his home. Brookman ward where Brendan is staying has a very caring a supportive environment. He has a room with a balcony and a view over a park. He has every electronic toy and game imaginable available to him.
So far Brendan is tolerating all the horrible medical procedures in his usual relaxed style. When he makes a fuss, it means he really needs our support. His time revolves around routine treatments that keep him well and reduce the chemo side effects and filling the long days with activities, games and electronic toys. He needs regular red blood cell and platelet transfusions. Even though Brendan has physically slowed down a lot, he has still managed to charm the nurses with his happy and cheeky personality.
Richard will be in Sydney for a night and will then return to Adelaide to finish things at work. He will then take some time off so that we can both care for Brendan when his chemo hits him full on. Brendan has accepted the changes in his usual relaxed way. He is sad that he won’t see Kieran and Tara for a few weeks.
We are hoping that our lap top computer can be set up to the hospital’s wireless internet soon. This will mean we can that we can keep Brendan’s blog up to date and send and receive emails without having to go home.
Will keep everyone up to date when we can.
Much love from Brendan and Anna
posted by Brendan's Journey @ 9:14 PM
1 Comments:
Dear Brendan
hope you are feeling better soon, Mrs Ryan, Sue and Maggie think about you all the time. We have 2 Elliots at kindy now and they enjoy going home with the children. Next time I write I will try and email some pictures of my cats for you.
lots of love
Maggie
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