TROOPING ON

Brendan has finished his 10 days of chemo and come through it all with amazing stamina. He has suffered the usual effects but still remains mostly positive and happy a lot of the time. His hair has began to fall out and his mouth has sores that are very painful. He is still eating and has a love for freshly cooked bacon. The smell of the cooking bacon in the parents room gets the staff and often the other kids on the ward wanting bacon as well.


Brendan can no longer leave the hospital for visits home as he now has no immune system to fight any bugs that may come his way. He enjoys playing any electronic toy he can gets his hands on, and fills his time either playing his electronic equipment or doing things with Mum and Dad.

He is really looking forward to Tara and Kieran coming home. He really misses them. Brendan misses contact with other children. I'm no good at talking about PSP Lego Star Wars games. Camp Quality arrived at the hospital with a special gift for Brendan: his own PSP (Play Station Portable) and several games to help fill his time here in Adelaide and in Sydney. Brendan was so excited and has had his nose stuck to the screen a lot of the time.

Richard and I are now taking turns at staying with Brendan overnight. You rarely get any sleep that is more than 2 hours long. There seems to be constant beeping of machines or Brendan needing some sort of nursing or parent attention. Fortunately the ward is not up and running until late in the morning. All day is spent with Brendan attached to his fluid and medicine pump. He is often tangled up in tubes and has very limited movement. He is still overjoyed by the fact that all his blood is taken from his central line and not from his veins. He loves the idea that no one has to stick him with a needle.

Overall Brendan is doing what the doctors expect. He has the usual 'hiccups' that all children having AML chemo suffer. He still remains positive and is often very cheeky with the nurses. He will correct the nurses during hand over time if they don't get something right. His positive attitude is very contagious, he still loves a good argument but will do what ever he is asked (most of the time).

Brendan's home away from home.

Brendan relaxing and watching TV

Hope everyone is well. Will post again soon.

Love Anna and Brendan