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Children's health

Joseph's last thread? Here's hoping...

847 replies

Trazzletoes · 17/09/2013 20:47

My now 4 year old DS, Joseph, was diagnosed with stage 4 high risk neuroblastoma last October. It's a particularly aggressive cancer with an 80% relapse rate. Long-term survival statistics are not great.

Joe has had 8 cycles of chemotherapy, an operation to remove the main tumour, stem cell harvest, high dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplant as his bone marrow was destroyed, 3 weeks of radiotherapy and now 5 1/2 months of differentiation therapy and imunotherapy.

In April we learned he had relapsed and so had a 5% chance of ultimately surviving. Then, the relapse spontaneously un-relapsed but we don't know for certain what this means for his future. Whether its good or bad news.

He remains bright and cheery and gorgeous throughout.

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northernlurker · 17/09/2013 20:51

Trazzles - as I've said recently on another thread, if 5% is what we get then it will have to be enough. It iis enough for hope and a future for your amazing son. Praying everyday for him Smile

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northernlurker · 17/09/2013 21:07

Just caught up with your last update on the old thread. I know line infections move fast and are very dangerous but yes you should have been listened to and the chest infection thing is quite scary really - because if they were worried about anything it should have been the line rather the chest - iyswim. So doubly wrong.
Is there a specific protocol for temp after the injection? If not could you talk to the consultant about writing one. It might err on the side of caution more than you'd want, and I expect you're worried about abs upsetting his gut when he doesn't need them, but it would at least give you a document to insist they work to or seek consultant advice before a variance.

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onedev · 17/09/2013 21:24

I'm still with you! Sorry to hear the trauma through the night but glad that the consultants today are listening to you.

We're always here for you to vent & scream & shout - so go for it whenever you need to.

Gingers still crossed very firmly for Joe. Over and out Smile

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LegoAcupuncture · 17/09/2013 21:27

Thinking of Joe and the Trazzle family x

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Ragusa · 17/09/2013 21:43

Ah mate, crap when people say thing and do another :( Baaaaaah to the ones who do not listen to Trazzle.

Hope wee Joe is doing ok with all the horrible blood tests etc. Stay gorgeous, little chap.

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Trazzletoes · 17/09/2013 21:44

There's no firm protocol after the injection. It is up to the Doctor who is on. Last time they were going to keep him in and treat him for a line infection until someone called the Consultant (who is running the trial) who told them straightaway to send us home.

They have put him on ABs to err on the side of caution. I get that, but it was IMO completely unnecessary to treat a potential chest infection. The consultants have agreed with me on that today. They have said its the potential line infection (which they also don't think he has but he did have the potential for one on his sats) that is being treated. But no one last night mentioned line infections. Plus they should not have given him medication that I expressly asked them not to.

Unfortunately the night drs are generally massively cautious and simply do not listen. The best we can hope for if we get discharged is to get the drs to confirm we can stay home with a temp for that night. And even then we still phone up and they can still demand us in. I don't know what happens if we flatly refuse to come in but I imagine it would involve social services?

The difficulty is that even though they can be 99.9% certain that the temp has come from the injection, if there are other signs of infection then there's always a risk, alvbeit 0.1% that its something serious and its not a risk they can take.

And today's nurse has been so lovely to me. I like to think that DH and I are generally quite reasonable and don't cause a fuss unless necessary and I would hope that the staff here who know us appreciate that. She brought me a cup of tea this morning, as if she didn't have enough to do already. Lovely lady.

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bobkate · 17/09/2013 21:46

Sad god Trazzles, when you write it all out like that Sad. Sorry to read your latest update. No wonder you are so frustrated at times.
Keep going, you should be so, so proud of yourself for being such a fab mum to Joe xx

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Trazzletoes · 17/09/2013 21:47

northern the 5% applied when he relapsed. Now he's un-relapsed, no one quite knows but we're potentially back in the ballpark of 30-40%. Could be 5%, could be much more like 100%. No one knows. I've stopped worrying about the numbers. I can't count anyway.

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LuisSuarezTeeth · 17/09/2013 21:52

Trazzle, my thoughts are with you and Joe. I admire you greatly.

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Almostfifty · 17/09/2013 21:56

Should you get home soon if Joe's temperature stays down Trazzles?

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FixItUpChappie · 17/09/2013 22:04

What a year you've all had. Your amazing boy has an amazing mum.

Still hoping and praying in your corner Trazzles.

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Trazzletoes · 17/09/2013 22:13

almost we're in til Thursday morning regardless.

His temp won't stay down - he gets one every night with these injections. However by the time we are discharged with luck they'll have ruled out illness as a cause and should hopefully rely on injections as the cause and allow us to stay at home. We'll see. I'm not holding out any hope right now Grin

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Fivemoreminutesmummy · 17/09/2013 22:22

Still with you and the gorgeous sounding Joe. Gingers crossed and splodging as always.

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dublinmary · 17/09/2013 22:47

Good luck and God bless

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tunnocksteacake · 17/09/2013 22:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

QOD · 17/09/2013 22:56

I often think of you all, feckin cancer sucks

X

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ToffeeWhirl · 18/09/2013 00:03

Still with you, Trazzle. Sorry you had such a shit time last night, but it sounds as if the day team really tried to make it up to you (lovely nurse to bring you tea Smile).

I hope you have a better night tonight.

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BoreOfWhabylon · 18/09/2013 00:06

Thinking of you, Joe and all the Trazzle family x

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BuffyFairy · 18/09/2013 00:22

Oh Trazzle, the daily battles you have to fight for Joseph. Sorry I barely posted on the last thread. I'm always with you.

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barefootcook · 18/09/2013 00:54

Yep- still here. Hope today is better. Love the title!

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FayeKorgasm · 18/09/2013 00:58

Thinking of you and your little boy.

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mynameisnotmichaelcaine · 18/09/2013 05:09

Always thinking of you Trazzles. Up right now feeding my 3 day old. He sends you a kiss.

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Almostfifty · 18/09/2013 07:11

Hope you both got a better night last night.

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ancientbuchanan · 18/09/2013 07:33

Have name changed but still with you

It's having to remain constantly alert with the medics on top of everything.else that is do exhausting, isn't it. And exposing everything again from new each time.

Hope today gues better.

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northernlurker · 18/09/2013 08:08

Thanks for explaining about the numbers Trazzles. It's all background noise anyway isn't it? Numbers say what happened not what's going to happen now. Very sensible not to worry about them Smile

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