Appetite and such

Hello friends and family,

This last week has been an interesting week for us. The steroid that Titus is on, dexamethasone, is creating some issues in our house. According to the drug information given by our doctor, this drug may kill some cancer cells, and increases the effectiveness of other anti-cancer meds.

He takes it twice each day, and it has some interesting side effects. The most noticeable being weight gain, increased appetite, and changes in his behavior.

From the moment Titus gets out of bed in the morning he is planning out his meals. He is like me, a pregnant woman, with his cravings, its pretty crazy. Everything revolves around FOOD, and how long it will be till his next meal.

Although I am tickled that he is eating, before treatment he wasn’t eating well…This is his world right now. FOOD. If you were to ask him his favorite foods right now, it would be pizza, macaroni and cheese, noodles and sauce (pasta/tomato sauce), hamburgers, hotdogs and don’t forget COW MILK…This may seem not a big deal to you reading this, but my son is normally the kid who is eating fruits and veggies all day, vanilla flavored almond milk (no cows milk)
and maybe a little meat here and there…It is a fight getting him to eat healthy right now! And he wants all these things from the moment he wakes up, pizza, black olives, for breakfast!

He has gained weight, just like the med info sheet said was normal…his face has more than filled out, and he has a pot belly…and it’s only been 13 days since he’s started his meds!

He has to be reminded about having a good attitude and happy heart throughout the day, which is also thanks to this steroid. He is very quiet and moody (also like his pregnant mama).

Other than his crazy cravings, mood, and weight gain, he is quite the trooper. He has another round of chemo tomorrow afternoon, then again Friday the 23rd. Then on Friday the 30th he will have another bone marrow aspiration/biopsy to see what kind of response he is having. There is a good possibility that they will visibly see no leukemic cells by that point, which means he is responding well. After the 30th, we will continue going in for weekly treatments for the next 7 months, and as I’ve said before, after those 7 months, monthly treatments for about 2.5 years.

Please continue to pray that he will continue to respond well to the chemo and other meds that he is on, and that we can keep him healthy as his immune system continues to decline.

After each treatment, his white blood cell count is going to continue to drop. The meds that he is on have an accumulative effect, and so over time his immune system will be less and less. There will be times in his treatment where we will literally be quarantined for his sake.

For those who live close by, we welcome, and LOVE visitors, however as a rule, his doctor does not want him around anyone who has had a fever, cough, runny nose, or any type of viral/bacterial sickness symptoms, within the last 24 hours. So, if you are, or have been sick within the last 24 hours, stay home! And hand washing is a must. Our hands are falling off from so much hand washing

We have had so many individuals, friends, and family offer us so much support and prayer already, we are overwhelmed with gratitude. The love everyone is showing our family, especially Titus, has been what is keeping us going right now. It is going to take us awhile to accept that this is our new normal for now…but I think we are on our way, with your help. We love you!

Thank you for reading and for praying for our little man. This journey will not be without bumps and rough patches, but with your prayers and support, and God on our side, we can, and will, make it!