Dominic Update 4.0 – Brown Eyed Baker

Hi anyone! I can’t feel that we are on the cusp of Labor Day and summer coming to a shut. The past 5 to 6 months have been a overall blur and this summer time, in distinct, has flown by. There is been hospitals (chemo, stem mobile harvest, surgical procedure), clinic appointments, and driving back again and forth to New York.

But, just one foot in entrance of the other and a person working day at a time, we are grateful to be heading into a new season with a powerful boy and hearts comprehensive of hope.

Dominic experienced a fast paced initially few months of August…

🔍 Very first, he had a new established of scans (MRI + MIBG) additionally an additional bone marrow biopsy. The scans nonetheless show sickness during his bones but most of the spots are “dimmer” than right before, and the bone marrow involvement lessened by about 50%.

So, there is still do the job to do, but there is an advancement. And! Dominic did equally of the scans devoid of anesthesia (he has been sedated earlier because you have to lay wholly still and the MIBG is around 2 hours). He’s a rock star.

🏥 Next, he had his first spherical of immunotherapy. The antibody he’s provided targets the protein of neuroblastoma cells and because they typically sit on nerve cells, there is substantial nerve ache accompanying the treatment method. The infusion is quick (45 minutes) but intensive.

There is a great deal of pre-treatment and agony administration throughout and after, and he would fundamentally slumber the overall rest of the day afterward. But, the treatment plans are outpatient so no healthcare facility stays, and they really don’t impression counts like chemotherapy, so no neutropenia or blood or platelet transfusions.

🦸‍♂️ Then, he crossed off a further huge hurdle… radiation. He did this awake with no anesthesia as well… twice a working day for 5 days, he was strapped down applying a special mask that was molded to his head and upper overall body to keep his head and neck in the precise similar position each time (his clavicle was radiated owing to the cluster of diseased lymph nodes that were there, as nicely as the tumor bed in his abdomen). An astounding woman who functions there has the little ones choose what they want their masks to be and then personalized paints them… Dominic selected Iron Guy. There are some extremely unique people today in this world.

He could also choose no matter what tunes he preferred to be piped in every single time and chose Christmas songs each and every working day 💕🌲 He absolutely rocked it and the individuals doing the job there ended up certainly phenomenal.

➡️ Next… we get to be residence for a few of weeks, then it is again to NY for a further round of immunotherapy, a new set of scans, and a different bone marrow biopsy. 

📘 In the meantime, he started out kindergarten this week! He’ll be becoming a member of class almost right until his oncologist provides him the go-in advance to show up at in individual, which we’re hoping will be late September.

💈 His eyebrows, eyelashes, AND hair have all started out increasing back! He’s had a ton of strength, has received again all of the weight he dropped following surgical procedure and that very last spherical of chemo and is in any other case carrying out definitely, definitely properly.

❤️ Thank you all for your ongoing prayers, it suggests so considerably to our family members.