Thanksgiving 08

Our family has a lot to be thankful for, however this year has brought that to an even more vivid reality. We all received a reality check on Tuesday, November 25, 2008. Only four days ago, yet it seems like weeks already. My youngest son, who I have referred to as AT on the blog was diagnosed with Stage IV Hodgkin's Disease. It all began the day before, on Monday when his mother took him to the pediatrician because of a swollen gland in his neck that seemed to get worse instead of better, After some blood work and X-rays, he called them at home and asked them to come back to the office as he needed to talk to them.

The x-ray showed another mass on his chest and the one in his neck was actually three. He recommended that Adam be taken to the Children's Medical center in downtown Cincinnati as soon as possible. So we were on our way.

Tests, CT-Scans, blood tests, more x-rays, more blood tests confirmed our fears. He was going to be in the hospital for quite some time, and more tests were scheduled, and more "spots" were found, this time on his right lung.

The hospital did allow Adam to go home for a few hours on Thanksgiving to enjoy the day with family, but he had to return on Friday for more tests to give the doctors a better idea on how to treat the disease.

Hodgkin's is a caner of the lymph nodes that can travel throughout the body through the lymphatic system. It can spread quickly and hit anywhere in the body. A bone marrow test was completed yesterday and we will receive the results from that on Monday, to determine if it has entered into the bone marrow and how to treat the disease.

Fortunately the disease has been contained in the upper torso area and no other major organs have been effected. The plan is to hit it fast and hard, and by late next week Adam should be undergoing his first session of chemotherapy. The doctors here are great, and the staff is wonderful. Adam seems to be handling the news better than what his mother and I have been. The doctors are saying there is an 80-85% success rate with this form of cancer, and great strides have been made in the treatment. His diagnosis was not what we wanted to hear, however the prognosis is good and we will stay strong and win this battle. You can read about his journey at his blog Adam's Journey.