Day +5

We are at day +5!! I post the pictures, both sad and happy, to show you the reality that we are living in everyday. There are happy moments, and also very sad ones. I like to look back at the pictures and see how far God has brought us in this journey. We are now in a bad week.....a lot like his first week in the hospital. I was not sure how we were going to get through that first week. It was horrible and words cannot describe the pain that we experienced watching Dylan go through all of the tests, and pokes, and to face the truth about the cancer that was trying to take his life. BUT God had bigger plans....and he HAS bigger plans for our Dylan. We got through those weeks and the past few months leaning on God's strength, and we will get through this too!! D amazes me everyday with his strength and the love he has for everyone around him. We are excited to see what God has in store for him!!






These pictures show a few of the activities of Dylan's daily routine. Every day he gets a bath--and this is his favorite part!! Most of the time, he would be smiling up a storm, but for now, the smiling is saved for extra special times :) After bath, is dressing change time. This is NOT his favorite!! Because his dressing gets changed daily, they have a "second skin" bandage all around his lines so that the tape can stick to that, and not his skin. Even though they try as hard as they can to protect the area, it still gets irritated. After cleaning both lines, new bandages are put on, and the drama is over. He also gets mouth care every 4 hours. This is when they swab his mouth with a sponge with antiseptic on it to clean out his mouth to disinfect it as much as possible. He is not a big fan of mouth care time, but usually takes it like a man (or actually better than most men would! ha!). Those are usually the big events of the day....exciting huh! The rest of the day consists of relaxing, sleeping and cuddling....we like those parts!! So far, Dylan's side effects seem to be staying the same. He is really puffy (swollen) from all of the fluids he is getting--which you can probably see in the pictures. His little outfits that are usually loose, are a bit snug right now, but that will go away. He received another round of platelets tonight. That was his second round of platelets since friday, but it is not unusual to get a lot of platelets during the early stages of post transplant.

Erik's mom and aunt came to visit today! (also my mom and aunt, just easier to describe that way :) I was able to get another much needed nap!! OHHHHH how I am spoiled!! But they came just in time....because earlier that morning I was teetering on the brink of going delirious and looked like a walking zombie. Grandma wanted to save some of Dylan's hair so we could compare the color with whatever grows back--so the fourth picture is of Dylan's first haircut!! He did great! HA! I do not expect his hair to last through the weekend, but we will see! At least now we have a sample in a baggie :)

Friday is Erik's 29th birthday!! YAY!!! And for his birthday, HE has surprised me with a nice weekend at a resort in Tucson!! I told you I am spoiled!! The best part is that we will be only 8 miles away from Dylan....and not 3 hours away! I MAY be able to relax this time. My mommy is coming down for the weekend to spend some time with Dylan, and he is really looking forward to the one on one cuddle time!! We are so blessed to have our family close to us and to be so supportive!! WE LOVE YOU ALL!!

Please continue to pray that Dylan's pain will stay under control and that he can get through this week with as little pain as possible! Pray for strength for us who are taking care of him, because it is difficult to watch him suffer. Pray that he continues to avoid some of the worst side effects and that his body responds well to the new cells. Thank you for all of your love, support, and prayers!!

Love
Michelle