What does Luke like?

We have been asked by many folks....what does Luke like? Sometimes, it's because they may want to give him something. Sometimes, it's because they want to pray that he continues to enjoy those things, and to be encouraged by those things.

Since he has been house-bound for so long, we have had to find clever ways to keep him entertained and engaged mentally and physically. Here are some of the things Luke has found himself "liking".

1 - Playing football (with Daddy): wow, he plays dirty; first, he tackles me, then he kicks me in the gut; he doesn't know it yet, but we got him an eagles uniform to play in (even has a soft helmet)
2 - animated movies (like Toy story, incredibles)
3 - trains, trains, trains
4 - CARS, CARS, CARS
5 - my baby can read dvd
6 - books
7 - arts and crafts
8 - oh boy...here's one...play kitchen stuff...he saw daddy slaving away in the kitchen and thought it looked fun...we got him a play kitchen and he makes us laugh so much as he whips around it frying up things, microwaving things, etc...imaginary heat, of course :)
9 - praying, singing, reading the Bible
10 - running around outside (it is ok for him to be outside of the house)
11 - helping daddy with the laundry (don't laugh, he really helps!) :)
12 - dinosaurs and dragons
13- bath tub play
14 - eating edamame (he finds them tasty and fun)
15 - carrot cake
16 - green berry burst hawaiian punch
17 - broccoli and cheese
18 - chasing and bursting bubbles...picture him chasing down bubbles, giggling hysterically, and popping them
19 - playing car race with anyone he can find, including uncles, aunties, and grandparents
20 - thank God for nick jr. (he loves pretty much all nick jr.); while his counts were good, we took him to see "storytime" featuring several nick jr characters...he was in shock (so excited...he was mesmerized)

Well, that some of the things Luke continues to enjoy. We are thankful that these things have and continue to fill his heart with joy.

Continuing to get comfortable?

Today, Tuesday, December 7th, 2010, marks the 6th month since we found out that Luke had leukemia. Wow. Time has flown by. We are so thankful that our life has been filled with love, peace, comfort, and strength. Thanks to God, and thanks to all of our loving family and friends. Also, thanks to those we have met in passing, online and in person, who may have encouraged us and prayed for us.

It has been a trying time, but we have had far more good days than bad days. We still have our eyes and hearts open to where God is leading us.

Nearly everything we thought about or planned prior to June 7th,. 2010 has changed. God-willing, we will gain clarity and re-gain vision towards the future. In many ways, we have jumped forward, and in some ways, he have stumbled, and in other ways, we have not moved. Your continued prayers are needed and greatly appreciated. 6-months of treatment have been completed, and God-willing, Luke has 33 more months to go.

Luke has always been our special and precious little boy. In these last few months, we have seen our baby take on the role of an older, more mature child. That is eye-opening, since he's only 3. Many times, he has helped us, when we needed. He has even told us to "take a deep breath" or "let us pray" or "turn off the tv, it is nap time". We love him so much. Our hearts break, knowing he must endure all of this, but we are comforted with his resilience and his spirit.

Pictures from the clinic...
Here's Luke playing with a netbook. Wow. Doesn't he look grown up?

Here's Luke making some puppets with some University of Houston Volleyball Players. Hmmm...he seems to enjoy warming up to ladies. Nice!

Here's Luke in the infusion center playroom. Daddy explained to Luke what the Puppet Theater was for, and Luke proceeded to conduct a puppet show. Daddy was the only one in the audience, but it was special.

Transfusion - November 22, 2010

We never truly understood how important giving blood can be. We will definitely start giving blood. During Luke's 'delayed intensification' phase, his blood counts went down to a critical level, and he needed a transfusion of blood and platelets. Thanks to the donations of others, Luke received the needed blood, and his counts improved greatly. Though his immune system is still down, and he has had to stay at home for about a month now, he is in good spirits, by God's grace.

Here's is Luke, all smiles, as we went to the clinic for his first transfusion since being admitted to the hospital during his initial diagnosis (in June).


Here is Luke looking up at the blood infusing into the port. Who knows what he is thinking? On this day, he received blood. A few days later, he received platelets. He developed an allergic reaction to the platelets, and the nurses gave him benadryl iv and hydrocortisone iv. Thankfully, it was not a serious reaction (a few little bumps on his head/face), but this does mean that any time he will need similar transfusions, he will be pre-medicated with these medicines.

Updates on Luke's Treatment

The last few weeks have been really busy going in and out of the hospital daily. On November 3rd, Luke was scheduled to start the second half of delayed intensification, but his counts were too low to start. His ANC had dropped to 280. They needed a minimum of 750 to start. So they postponed it for one week. On November 10th his counts were good but he had some wheezing because of a cold virus so they cancelled his spinal tap of IT methotrexate for one week. He still had gotten IV cytarabine which he will get daily for the next 3 days. Our insurance did not approve the home nurse so we had to go back to the hospital on Thursday and Friday. He also started a new drug Thioguanine that he has to take orally for 14 days. Surprising Luke has been taking this crushed tablet with Hawaiian Punch and has had no issues taking it. Luke finally got his spinal tap on November 16th with methotrexate and also got the IV cytarabine. This week we have also been back to the hospital everyday to get his treatment. He is still accessed so that makes things a little easier. His counts have been declining slowly. If his counts for his hemoglobin go below 8.5 he will get a blood transfusion on Monday. Hopefully his counts will recover in the next few weeks.
It has been nice having the parents around for the last month to help during this tough time. It was always nice having someone help with making meals and especially keeping Luke entertained while he was stuck in the house. Luke has so much energy that the parents were wiped out. They leave on Saturday and I think Luke will be upset when the house will be quiet again.

Salt and Light

In Matthew 5: 13-16, Jesus teaches about salt and light. "You are the salt of the earth" and "You are the light of the earth". Many people allow others to see what "Christ is like" by adding flavor to life (especially the lives of others) and serving as beacons in this world.

Luke recently crossed his 5th month of chemotherapy. Through all of this, we are thankful for what God continues to do for us. We continue to look forward to what God has in store for us.

As we reflect on our journey thus far, we see His Grace abound. We especially find strength and comfort and joy in many, many acts of love and kindness received.

We appreciate and are thankful for the prayers of others. It means a lot. Family, friends, and others lending words, acts, and other means of support make this journey far more tolerable.

We recently enjoyed being treated to a comedy show, that was a blessing. Also, some loved ones took a special opportunity on their birthday to coordinate a group blessing of gifts for our family Family and friends make food for us. Our family and friends, when feasible, visit with us. Our family and friends check-in via phone, text, email, blog, and facebook. Luke gets toys and games and arts & crafts stuff and clothes. Folks have offered to take pictures of him. His old montessori school offered the opportunity for free playtime with his friends. His old teachers offered to teach him at home. The hospital he goes to provides loving care. Also, at the hospital, he gets fun stuff, blankets, puppet shows, playtime, and food. In addition to hospital care, we receive opportunities to enjoy events and outings free of charge. Many, many blessings.

This journey has been difficult, but God has been extremely faithful. We never knew how many different acts of God's love we would or could receive. We are so thankful for the blessing others have been to us. Anyone reading this blog post...we thank you. You have blessed us.

Hard to keep up with Luke

Luke was a little excited after getting a "How to train your dragon" dragon from cousins Owen and Olive. We love to see how God's blessings abound. Also, it is so heartwarming to see how acts of kindness have such profound effects on our Luke (and us).

We are so happy he has such energy and joy!

Luke's New Look

Luke has been surprisingly "ok" about his hair loss. We think it would have been far more difficult to handle had he not been so accepting. Thank God.

Hair

As Luke approaches his 4^th week of delayed intensification, his hair has started to fall (should grow back in a few months).  Although this was an expected side effect of the new medicines, it wasn’t easy to see initially. 

 

Luke is doing very well in all aspects of his therapy so far, and we are thankful for that.  We pray that he stays happy and encouraged with his “new look”. 

 

I told him that God’s giving him a haircut, and will probably take all of his hair, but will give it back.  He said he’s fine with that.

 

This morning, he did look in the mirror and said “I don’t like my hair”.  That was sad to hear, but we are looking forward to this phase being over successfully and look forward to resuming a more “normal” life as we enter the maintenance period of his treatment that should begin in about 5 or 6 weeks, and lasts about 2 ½ years. 

 

Thank you for your continued prayers and support!

Day 15 of Delayed Intensification

Today, we had a late appointment at the Cancer Center. Luke was the last patient seen. The infusion center was empty. Luke also seemed more irritable at accessing his port, but recovered quickly with his mood. He had IV doxorubicin and IV vincristine and IV zofran. His counts have come down drastically with his ANC dropping to 340 which means severe neutropenia and a high risk of infection. During his infusion, he had an appetite where he ate a Chik-fil-a sandwich, soup, and some beef jerky (thanks to his grandma) while watching Lion King. Luke also had some dark spots on his tongue and the doctor thinks that it is related to his chemotherapy. She also gave him some nystatin to make sure that his tongue doesn't have thrush. He has also been complaining of leg pains and cramps. They think it is because of the steroids effect on his bones and added some calcium + vitamin D tablets to his already extensive drug regimen. He will again start on dexamethasone tomorrow for 1 week with zantac. His de-access was quick thanks to Pat, but I can't say it was pain-free. Thankfully, even with all that is happening within his body, he is an active 3-year-old with no signs of leukemia from the outside. Even his hair is still there. Luke is ready for Halloween with his batman costume and carved Swiper the Fox on the pumpkin tonight. We pray for protection for Luke in the next few weeks against any viruses or infections while his ANC is low and that his numbers improve.

2nd week of delayed intensification

Luke continues to do well. He is receiving his 2nd dose of iv doxorubicin along with his iv vincristine. No spinal tap today, but he will have one in 2 weeks. The doctor says he looks wonderful and is responding well. He had oral steroids last week and will stop this week, then restart next week

October 12, 2010 - Luke handling 'Delayed Intensification' well thus far

By God's Grace, our Luke is doing well. He has tolerated a new IV chemo (last week), and 2 IM injections (yesterday). He's in good spirits, energetic, eating and drinking well, and gives thanks/prays to God (even though he refuses to pray at the end of the video below:) ).



Here's Luke and his Philly Grandma and Grandpa eating at a buffet restaurant.

Delayed Intensification

Today, October 6th, marks Luke's 121st day since chemotherapy started. By God's Grace, we have all been doing well, especially Luke. Today, Luke begins a phase called 'delayed intensification', which is expected to be the toughest 3 months for him. He will receive meds by mouth, in his thigh muscle, in his vein, and in his backbone today. Also, they say it is not uncommon that kids wake up the next day with no hair. We pray that he responds well to his new medicines.

Allergy Testing

Luke had to go through testing to see which antibiotics he is allergic to, so they can find the ones he can use if he ever has a need to be treated. Since his leukemia and diminished immunity can lead to infections, knowing which antibiotics to useis important. The testing involves "scratching" the skin with various antibiotics, followed by intradermal injections. Luke did cry and was saddened during the test, but came through ok. We're waiting for the results as this blog posting is being written. Thanks to God for giving us all strength and courage. We all need it. It hurts us to see him having to endure all of this. We pray for him.

September 28th - Update

By God's Grace, Luke continues to be ok. We had a slight concern a week ago when he appeared to have some type of allergic reaction all over his body. It could be the Bactrim (antibiotic) he has been taking, but we are praying that this is not the case. We did give him 6 more doses of Bactrim this past weekend, and he did not have a reaction. Outside of the Bactrim, we couldn't think of many other "different things" he was exposed to (there were a few).

Today, we have 2 appointments for Luke. One is with an allergy doctor. There they will probably inject various things into his arm to test for allergic responses. The other appointment is a pill swallowing class. We hope that he can learn to swallow the numerous pills he will need to take over the course of the next 3 years, because the liquid medications are not tasty.

We are sad that Luke has to go through all of this, but pray for his strength, courage, will, and spirit. Also, we pray for our well-being through all of this.

Faith and Healing (Sept 23)

Luke has faith :)
We continue to hope and pray for Luke and his well-being. In about a week, Luke will enter into "delayed intensification". He will be exposed to a couple of new medicines, and we hope he responds well. The nurse practitioner has already made us aware that, in all likelihood, his hair will fall out during this period. This will be a visual reminder to us that we need to continue to remain steadfast in Faith. Hair falling out is cosmetic, if anything, but obviously, it is alarming to see. What is more concerning is that we can expect that Luke will be house-ridden during October and November, due to diminished immunity (due to the effects of the chemo).

100 Days

Yesterday marked Luke's 100th day of chemo. We are thankful that he has tolerated everything well, thusfar. It has been difficult for our family, but God has been faithful. We continue to hope and pray that Luke is healed completely, and that his leukemia NEVER COMES BACK!

He's come a long way :)

Look at how Luke has progessed. It's amazing. He's so relaxed while the nurse is giving his meds that he is drinking lemonade DURING the med administration while watching tv. Praise God!

By the way, his bloodwork is looking great. They are escalating his methotrexate dose.

Side Effect of Methotrexate

It appears that methotrexate can cause darkening of the fingertips, nailbeds, and nails. We noticed a few days ago that Luke's fingertips were noticeably darker.

August 20 Clinic Visit

As I looked around the infusion suite, I saw many kids and their families who face similar situations. It is amazing how kids seem to help other kids, and how families seem to help other families...many times, without words being exchanged. Do I wish we didn't have to go through this? Yes. We continue to look for God's purpose every day. We do see Him daily, in our lives, through Luke and his progress, as well as the strength and peace He continues to provide.

The picture here is an example of progress, and God's faithfulness. Here's Luke, getting more comfortable in the infusion area....and more comfortable with the hospital workers and other kids.

August 16th, 2010 - Reflection

Nowadays, when I look at pictures of us from the past (beyond a few months ago), I stare to see what we looked like before Luke was diagnosed with leukemia. I would imagine that the look we had was typical of anyone else going through life, with usual ups and downs. Although I haven't studied pictures of us taken after Luke's diagnosis, I am interested to see what they'll show. Many times, we think of the person afflicted with the disease, and focus on that person, but what may escape us sometimes is looking at their loved ones. A picture says a thousand words, they say. They also say, the eyes are the windows to the soul. I wonder what our eyes say today. Our eyes have been filled with tears more in the last 3 months, than they have been in the last 10 years. God grants us mercy, and we continue to hope for the best.

When we were in the clinic last Wednesday, I was sitting with Luke as the nurse was infusing the chemo into his port. Luke sat quietly by my side, looking on bravely, and he held my finger, perhaps for comfort. As I looked down at his hand, it reminded me of an image I saw once before, when he was born... a picture of him holding onto this Mommy's finger. As we looked at the picture at that time, we thought, "what a small hand". "His hand will be in ours for some time, and he is so precious, we must take care of him", we thought. As we sat with him in the clinic, and as he held my finger, I couldn't help but be sad for our little Luke, who must endure so much... more than either of us, and more than many of those reading this post.

I want to share that picture of him as a newborn, and the picture I snapped last Wednesday.

August 11 Update

Today is Luke's first iv methotrexate dose. We pray that he tolerates it well. His blood counts as of today are good. The fact that he had a cold last week and he recovered basically shows that his immune system is working, which is a blessing. As we wait for the infusions at the clinic, Luke is enjoying the playroom. That is definitely progress.

Here's a picture of Luke this morning before we left the house. As usual, he is not a fan of the hospital...poor child.

Kurian Appacha Visits Luke

Luke had a visit from Kurian Appacha from New Jersey. Kurian Uncle spent a good amount of time teaching us how to cook Kerala-style food, which was helpful. Ok... he really made a lot of stuff while we watched, confused. Just kidding. It was a great visit, and Luke enjoyed Kurian Appacha's time with him. It was really a great time, and Luke spent quality time with Kurian Appacha. In this video, we see Luke destroying a camera. Sorry Kurian Appacha! Hopefully, it's not permanently broken. Tongiht, his last night of the visit (August 9th), as we prayed, we continue to thank God for blessings. Earlier in the evening, Luke was playing around with a "walker" babies use when trying to walk. It reminded us that just a month and a half ago, we had to take that thing out of the garage, to help Luke re-learn how to walk again. Our hearts are full as we think of how much progress Luke has made, and how God is so faithful.

Miscellaneous Cool Pix - June/July 2010

Cheesing for the camera - August 9. 2010

Checking the blog to learn more about what is going on in his life :)

Here's Aunty Christine, as usual, putting a smile on Luke's face. He is so blessed to have her as an Aunty. Luke really loves his Aunty Christine!

Here's Luke and Aunty Lena at the MTC sports tournament. Luke was really happy to see his Aunty Lena, and was also excited to watch some basketball. This was one of Luke's first outings since being diagnosed with Leukemia. It was special for us. Also, we displayed our "Team Luke" t-shirts, compliments of Uncle Alvin.


Here's Luke's friend, Sanjay, with Uncle Shibu and Aunty Shiny. The day before his port placement, they stopped by to hang out. It was a great evening, and perfect for Luke, since he had a big day ahead of him. What a blessing to have such loved ones.
Luke and Uncle Alvin. Alvin has been in Luke's (and our) corner since the beginning of this ordeal. Luke is blessed to have such a loving and caring uncle. Luke always lights up when he hears Uncle Alvin is coming!

Thank you, God. Three blessed years with our precious, precious, precious, sweet, loving child. Our hearts are full when we think of Luke and the blessing he is. May the good Lord continue to draw us close and keep us safe.

Grandpa's Visit

Luke was blessed to have a special visit from Appachen. It was a blessed 10 days where Luke enjoyed nonstop good times with Grandpa. It was also special because Appachen had an opportunity to join Luke as he underwent the accessing of his port-a-cath, and also, a spinal tap, along with intrathecal medication. It was definitely a life-affecting experience for Appachen, as he saw what Luke has to endure. We are really blessed that prayers continue to be answered, and also, that Luke really is not experience a great deal of discomfort. He is in great spirits. His health and well-being was definitely peaking, as he spent time with his Appachen.

Luke's guitar

This video could've been great, had it not been for Luke spotting the camera man :)

Luke's "1st" Bday Party since having Leukemia

After we had clearance to go out, since Luke's blood counts have improved, we took an opportunity to have him attend his friend, William's, birthday party. He had such a great time, it made us feel great. Thanks to God for these blessings, that many times, we take for granted (or we took for granted before Luke was diagnosed with leukemia).

Here's Luke and Mommy, digging up some dinosaurs -

Got milk?

It has definitely been encouraging today (June 6) to see him eat pretty well. He topped off his eating with an Oreo. He had a great day today, despite trying to overcome the residual cold virus he has.

Luke is getting over a cold

On Sunday, August 1st, we had to take Luke to the emergency room. Part of the protocol for Luke is that if he ever has a temperature of 101 or more, he must go to the emergency room to be seen. Since Luke's leukemia diminishes his ability to fight off infections, and since chemotherapy also diminishes his immunity, any sign of infection is treated aggressively. For a brief moment, I found myself starting to feel a little "angry" at God. Despair shows its face every once in a while folks. Thankfully, I quickly got over it. God brought Luke to us, and he will take care of him (and us). There's a purpose that is to be fulfilled, and thinking that way gets us through (sometimes). It ain't easy, though.

Nonetheless, they sent us home the same day, basically telling us it seems like a virus of some kind, but not bacterial, so we could go home and watch him. His temperature went down. Praise God. The next few days, we have see some congestion, sneezing, and coughing, but he is looking good right now, with the ever-so-slightest cough. He is great spirits, running around (full-speed), kicking the soccer ball, drinking well, eating well, and excreting well (no need to elaborate, right?).

We are praying vigorosly that the infection he is fighting leaves his body, and also, to clear his lungs.

Pharmacy 101 - Prayer need

In the last few weeks, as we stopped luke's steroids, his appetite hasn't been great, but ok. Also, every so often, he'll go a day or 2 without a bowel movement (#2), and sometimes, may not have a #1 more than once a day.

Here's Pharmacy 101. The medicines he gets daily, weekly, etc. carry side effects as well as benefits to his condition. Most medicines follow steps we call "pharmacokinetics". Pharmacokinetics consists of steps that include: absorption of drug, distribution of drug, metabolism of drug, and excretion of drug.

Our prayer need, specifically, is for Luke to continue to eat and drink well, and also, that he excretes (#1 and #2; and also, sweat) well. We have upheld this in prayer for a little while now. Also, we've been giving him a laxative, Miralax, as well as trying to get him to drink water (because without water, most laxatives don't work), juice, and to have a well-balanced diet.

Overall, we are very thankful that Luke is feeling and acting so much better.

We know there is a lot going on inside his body every second, and we do not see any of that. We trust in Him, and pray that Luke continues, happily and healthily (is that a word?), to full recovery. Praise God.

Church

With last week's blood counts coming back favorably, we were told to "resume normal activities". Going back to Church was great. We went to the Vineyard last Sunday, and went to Trinity MTC today. It felt really awesome to be back in God's house, with folks that love the Lord, and have been joining us in praying for Luke. Luke did well last week, and did even better today.

Luke is walking better every day

When Luke first complained of leg pain at the very beginning of our journey with leukemia, he did not walk for 20 days. Can you imagine? My goodness. It was so sad and heartbreaking to see our once extremely happy and active child bedridden. He didn't walk because of leg pain, and then, probably a combo of pain and the fear of pain. Now Luke is walking more and more every day. He is testing out running, and has been spotted kicking a ball here and there. Here's a video of a Luke with his new remote controlled car. I like seeing him crouch down and get back up. That is great improvment in his leg strength. We thank God for these answers to the prayers cast upon His ears.

Luke's commentary on his implanted IV port

Every day, we are amazed at what Luke experiences, and he's still in good spirits and encouraged. Last night we were talking about this amazing thing: even though Luke has gone through all of this stuff, and continues to have to endure things, like weekly injections in his vein, in his backbone, etc., he still has a smile on his face. They say that children are extremely resilient, and it seems that Luke is a trooper. We can't imagine what he is feeling inside, but we pray that the next 3 years goes by swiftly. This week we found out an interesting thing. Even after his 3 1/2 year treatment plan, he will need to have annual bloodwork for the rest of his life. We pray that he remembers God's faithfulness, as well as the love of those around him, as he goes through life. We pray that the leukemia leaves his body, and never comes back. We also hope and pray that we all come out of this miraculously better all around.

Luke's Status, as of July 13th, 2010

Most current results: PRAISE THE LORD
Bone marrow is clear of leukemia (0% blasts),
Cytogenetics shows that the marrow is clear of TEL-AML.
The above indicates that Luke's leukemia is in remission.

The physician described what Luke's treatment and care will look like for the next 3+ years. We all have a long road ahead. Thankful, our God is faithful, and we continue to pray to remain steadfast in faith. It has been tough for us, physically, emotionally, or spiritually.

God-willing and God-providing, Luke's treatment should end on Sunday, August 11, 2013.

Joyce's Birthday was yesterday

We are thankful that Luke could celebrate Momma's birthday (July 12th)! We had some loved ones over. Luke's friend, Sanjay, came over, and they had fun. We were so thankful that Luke could have such an awesome time on the eve of his port-a-cath surgical insertion.

Port-a-cath Placement (July 13, 2010)

Our Luke had his first surgery today. I am beginning this post while waiting for him. They are placing a "portacath" or implanted IV port in his chest, below his left collarbone. This morning was the first time anyone has ever taken Luke away from us against his will. I am concerned about how he will feel about this. I pray that God's goodness is known to him as time goes on. This morning, Luke had good spirits. Very happy and loving. This was also the first time he has gone to the hospital and entered without crying. Prior to this diagnosis of leukemia, I believe I might have said "Luke is a trooper". By God's grace, today, I see this with more depth. "Luke is a trooper. I am thankful to God for that." I believe that we have learned that it is so easy to overlook rejoicing and giving thanks. When we were in the hospital, our brother Robin prayed, and something in that prayer continues to resound. "Through all of this, we pray that we continue to grow to see Your face clearer." We pray for peace and strength for our family and loved ones. At this time, we especially lift up our Luke, God's blessing to us. We pray for no pain and suffering from his procedure today. We also pray for a successful port placement, that can last for the remainder of treatments. Prior to the procedure, Luke donned a hospital PJ set. He was remarkable in great spirits. He was also a little tired, since we were up early. My goodness. No words can describe how we felt when we let them take Luke back to the operating room. When we were notified of the procedure completion, we rushed to recovery where he was already waking up. We are scared and anxious as we start on another path with this implanted IV port. Over the long run, it will probably be less traumatic for Luke. And here's our blessed child when we got home. Ready to eat some chinese moodles and chicken, and listening to Joyce's iPod.

Here's a video, prior to the procedure. Luke is playing with a vacuum. Pay attention to the end, where he credits the 2 people that taught him how to vacuum.

Last Bone Marrow Aspiration?

The day he was diagnosed with leukemia, the initial bone marrow analysis indicated 61% blasts in the marrow. At Day 14 of chemo, the target was to get that percentage below 4%. The Day 14 sample showed ZERO blasts, Praise God! Here we see father and son, on July 7th, 2010. This is the sample they take 2 weeks after the Day 14 sample. The target here is <0.1% blasts. This will hopefully be the last bone marrow aspiration for Luke... ever. If the results come back as hoped, and a few other things pan out, he will be considered in remission, and will continue on various chemo medicines for the next 3 years. Pray, pray, pray.

July 4th, 2010

We were thrilled to have a chance to take Luke out for fireworks. Kochumol Aunty and Stacy joined us. Luke had a great time. During the induction phase of Luke's treatment, he is not allowed to go to enclosed places, including Church and stores.

Steroids

Luke, at his 4th week of steroids:

Luke loved noodles...for about a week

With his ravenous appetite due to steroids, he craved "noodoos" for about a week. He especially liked them served with chopsticks. Although Ammachy used chopsticks to feed Luke noodles, Appachen preferred to use the traditional fork.

Luke turns 3!

Philadelphia Appachen and Ammachy, Christine, Stacy, and our friends Sherine and John joined us to celebrate Luke's birthday. We had planned to have it at a bouncy place (Monkey Joe's), but that was now out of the question. The day before we told Luke, "tomorrow is your birthday", to which he replied, "Monkey Joe's?". We were sad. Couldn't believe he remembered. Sad to know he was looking forward to it, but we couldn't provide. We were really pleased that we could have a celebration for him and with him. He enjoyed it. He even let everyone feed him cake!

1st steps, again

Luke was not walking for weeks due to leg pain. It was a strange feeling to have to go through baby steps again.

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