Good Morning!
Loki is well....being a 2 year old toddler. We are very happy about that, but man, can the terrible twos be trying sometimes.
This is the link to the Jensen Family Reunion photos. Loki is in some of them, but it was a great time, so I thought I would post a link to them all.
http://milt-jensen.com/fortfumble
Enjoy!
Peter's parents (Pat and Larry), grandma (Maxine), and sister (Jamie) visited us from the 20th - 26th. We had a great time. I have lots of pictures to post on Loki's site, and hope to do so by this weekend.
Loki had a doctors appointment on the 25th. I asked the doctors about a number of things, specifically his black stool, and sluggish digestive system. Also, Loki has been having some pain in his legs, and periodic limping. Regarding the black stools, the doctors agreed that it looked like some intestinal bleeding was taking place, but that can be normal in kids who drink too much cow's milk without drinking enough water. So, we have been asked to make some slight dietary changes and report back within 2 weeks if those changes have helped the stool/constipation question.
I am happy to report that those dietary changes have appeared to have done the trick, but I will definitely be keeping any eye on things.
Pain in legs/limping: The doctors were more concerned about this. His oncologist examined his pelvic region, front and back, a couple of times, but did not plapate anything. Loki has scans set for the 22nd of Sept. I asked if this could be residual effects from the neupogen or growing pains... I was told maybe. I have been asked to keep a very close eye on Loki. If we see increased incidence of pain or limping we are to bring him back in. At this time, the doctors are aware of the issue, but do not seem too concerned as Loki was literally running full speed up and down the halls of the clinic.
Alicia
Good Morning!
Again, all is well with the Jensen household. Loki is currently dancing to the Wiggles, and talking up a storm. "Look mommy wiggles" He doesn't have a favorite wiggle yet though.
In the last month, we have gone from two word combinations to full blown sentences, questions, requests, ect. It has been great. Just the other day, he tried to help us bring groceries into the apartment. He tried to lift a large bag, grunted, put it down, and said, "No, mommy/dada too heavy." Or, when we are done with dinner, "Mommy/Dada sink?" Translation, can I put the dishes in the sink....oh now only if I could get him to do that in a few years when he is a teenager....I know, I will have to take a video of it, to remind him.
And, in another fun story. Loki "knows" when he has to go pee. (Loki no longer has a bladder, but has a urostomy pouch) He goes into the bathroom, pulls down his pants, takes out his pouch, uncorks his pouch, drains it, puts the cork back in, pulls up his pants, and is done, runs off to do the next thing he wants too. Not bad for a guy, just 1 1/2 mths past his second birthday. He did that all on his own. Children are truly amazing, just wonderful.
He is alot taller, and has fleshed out a bit. We put him on one of those scales you find at the mall, and it switched between 25 and 26 lbs, so he is growing. He is almost out of his 24 mth clothes, and is in 2T!!! He is eating well, and drinking well. We are going to see if it is alright to take him off the pediasure, but I need to talk to his doctors and dietician first.
Let's see.... it has been an eventful month for all of us, but thankfully not in the way of medical issues, mostly deadlines at work, family reunions, and other events. I need to ask permission, Milt just sent out a link to all the reunion pictures. I would like to post it, but since it contains pictures of all the family, I want to ask first before I post it here.
In other news, Peter was promoted at work he is now a project engineer, and I am now officially a PhD graduate student working strictly on my research. I hope, with alittle luck, to be done by Dec. 2005 or May 2006. It all depends on how my research goes, as any one who has done research knows. Could be sooner, could be later.
Gosh, this is a alot different than the state we were all in this time last year. At this time, Loki was in the middle of his first round of chemotherapy, and we, as a family, were preparing for his surgery, and hoping that they cancer would shrink to the point were it would be possible to save his bladder and prostate. That, however, was not the case; but the surgery they did, seems to have done the job.
Loki has a doctors appointment this Wed. his first since coming off treatment (OT). We have noticed an increasing problem with Loki going to the bathroom. I don't know if its his little body changing the way it digests food, it could be normal, but he is increasingly constipated. There are a couple of possibilities from normal 2 year old stuff to possible scarring from the radiation he received this past Nov/Dec. I am going to discuss all of this with the doctors on Wed. It just seems strange that despite modifications we have made in his diet, that he still continues to have problems in going poop.
Loki has he 3 mth off treatment scans on Sept 22nd. We will all pray that they remain clear and cancer free.
