Childhood cancer awareness

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month.

Did you know that everyday, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer?

7 children die each day from cancer.

Do you know the ribbon color for breast cancer?

What's the ribbon color for childhood cancer?

See why we need more awareness?

Everyone thinks childhood cancer is rare.

It is.

But, we are still surrounded by children with cancer.

We are still affected by children with cancer.

With more awareness will come a cure.

I'll be posting a few things about life with childhood cancer this month.

Just to show you some of what we go through.

Keep in mind that the intensive stuff was in Seattle.

14 months worth.

Still 2 years to go of this Maintenance Therapy.

A lifetime of tests to make sure the cancer hasn't returned.

Anthony has to have blood levels drawn every two weeks.

Once a month, it's done in Seattle on his big chemo day.

The other time, it's local.

Yesterday, we took Anthony in to get blood drawn, but he was not hydrated enough.

His veins kept hiding, and they couldn't get blood.

Anthony endured 10 minutes of a needle being moved around inside his elbows, trying to find those veins.

Because the test is important, but could still wait a day, we decided to bring him home and offer water to him at every opportunity throughout the night and this morning.

Anthony fell asleep in the car.

 Waiting for the techs to get Anthony's lab orders ready.

Not a fun way to wake up.

Anthony LOVES his main tech though.

Because he drank so much, she said the veins were huge today, and we were done within a minute, literally.

On the way out, Anthony gave his favorite girl a hug and gave her victory arms, and squeals of delight.

Then, he did the sign for McDonalds.

See the coban and cotton ball wrapped on his elbow.  

Anthony is getting old enough to understand routine more.

So, to cut down on trips to fast food places, and to help him get through lab work with something to look forward to, we go to McDonalds for fries after each time he gets poked.

**by the way, the ribbon color for childhood cancer is GOLD**

Just some fun pictures.

Daniel got Anthony to sleep tonight.

It only took him about 5 minutes.

Family movie night.

Kelly was at her first football game.

This was from yesterday.

Daniel was watching Psych, and Anthony was watching How to Train Your Dragon.

They are buddies, especially now that the other children started school.

 Anthony climbed on the table the other night.

He gets into more and more mischief.

We're keeping our eye on him even more now.

Didn't think that was possible!