Day 500 - wow...

Today - Sept, 2018

So, this is day 500.  500 days since we found out Ryan had Leukemia.  It's been a very strange year and a half, and you all have no idea how much I appreciate your support and your prayers.  For the last 500 days, I have posted an update every evening.

I have tried to keep my posts positive (sometimes more for me than for anyone reading them).  There are things that I have not talked about, perhaps because putting those things into writing will make them possible.  Mostly, I have avoided any writing that implies that there is any alternative to things working out.   When we were first diagnosed with Leukemia, our doctors came in to give us 'the talk'.  For anyone who has gone through this, you know about 'the talk'.   Since Ryan had a small bowel and liver transplant, odds were that Ryan would not survive.  We knew this.  However, Ryan is an amazing kid, always defying the odds.

May, 2017  (first month of chemo)

Through the first year of chemo, he had his share of 'complications'.  Not the least of which was the 'fistula' of intestine spontaneously bursting through his abdomen.  He swelled up like a balloon.  He had emotional issues from the medications and the months of isolation.  

And yet, through it all, he has always retained the positive attitude and appreciation for his medical staff, from the nurses and the doctors, to the housekeeping staff and the volunteers.  As for us, his parents, we can not express how much our friends and family (and friends of friends and complete strangers) have helped us to stay strong and positive throughout this experience.  And, not only has Ryan survived, he has thrived, growing in weight and height and maturity.

January, 2018 - 14th birthday

If you have been keeping up with the blog over the last few weeks, you know that things are going well.  While the 'maintenance' phase will last for another two and a half years, I think that we have gone through the worst of it.  The doctors have expressed that with this version of Leukemia, if you are still in remission at the beginning of maintenance, your chances of the cancer coming back are pretty low.  I expect that we will still have some complications (especially when we have our IV chemo or our spinal tap chemo), but in general, life is getting back to 'normal'. 

Therefore, I've decided to stop posting every day.  I will try to post once a week or so, just to keep you all updated.  But, since we are just living a normal life now, there isn't much to say!  I can look at the statistics of the blog, and I see that there are many of you who read the blog, and I want to say thank you!  You have kept my spirits high and helped me to remember that I am not alone in this.  (Special Thanks to Lois Hill, who has commented on almost every post... now that's dedication!)

June 2018, Back home in Montana!

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to post on Facebook or the blog or you can always email or call me.  And, please, continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers!