Some catching up to do...

It's been a while...my apologies to everyone who regularly checks-in for updates and worried when we were silent. Things have been busy but Hayden's doing very well.

His last appointment was Tuesday and his blood counts (specifically neutrophils) were finally high enough to continue with all of the chemo but he is STILL neutropenic - which means no public appearances. So much for 'easy capizzi'...I guess this treatment round is relatively easy but we didn't expect that he would be neutropenic for so long. Hayden was supposed to get escalating doses of methotrexate but his counts dropped almost right out of the gate. But, it's not a bad thing. Dr. Stoffman explains that if we're getting the innocent bystanders (that's the healthy blood cells), we're definitely doing a number on the bad guys (that's the blasts / leukemic cells). And we're not loading him up with high doses, which means less side-effects.

Hayden's attending full school days when he doesn't have appointments and goes to the occassional tae kwon do class. His spirits are high, his hair is coming back, but his appetite is hit and miss. We can't go to the movies or be around sick friends/family, but now that the weather's warmer, we're getting out a lot more. As much as possible, we're trying to enjoy this treatment round because the next one may be...shall we say....less fun.

Mother's Day was great! We spent some time at home (breakfast in bed and a gift hunt!) then later with family. The previous Sunday was the Winnipeg Police Service 1/2 marathon to support the Canadian Cancer Society. We went and cheered on Christa, who was running in H's honour. He was there to hi-5 her just before the finish line. She did great and raised about $2k! Thank you to Christa and everyone who sponsored her.

As well, we raised a lot of $$ during the QX104 radiothon for the Children's Hospital, which so many of you supported. I don't yet have totals for the EISI matching gift donation but hopefully I can post them soon. Once again, thank you for donating, following Hayden's story, and reaching out in so many ways. It's definitely comforting for Hayden to know that we are not alone in this battle. We don't always respond, but we read every email, Facebook message, card, and everything else. H has definitely gained an appreciation for helping others, the way that he has been helped.