FAQs

I realize that I haven't been as diligent at blogging lately. I have noticed that because people who keep close tabs on the blog keep asking me things that I could easily blog about. So here are a few answers:

Q: When will Steven hear about his Make-A-Wish trip?

A: This is a question that Steven frequently asks me--probably about seven times a day. I don't know the answer. I will say that he changed his request afterall. One evening we were talking about Hawaii and out of the blue, Steven decided that Hawaii is what he really wants to do (ah, the fickleness of youth). Rob came into the room and caught the jist of our conversation and then asked if he had seen the news about the wrecked cruise ship. We hadn't heard about it, but once we did, Steven was even more certain that the Hawaii trip was for him. He needed to write a different letter and that letter was reviewed by the board on the 25th of January. If they don't approve that, his backup wish is for a regular cruise. We put our date of choice as the week of spring break, but we also said we could go whenever. So, we will see!

Q: When will Steven get to wear his prosthetic again?

A: This answer makes me kind of sad. Starting tomorrow, he is able to bear weight on his leg. We originally had an appointment with his prosthetist tomorrow, but that has been postponed until Feb 9th. Unfortunately, he isn't able to wear his leg--it hurts him terribly. He either needs an adjustment or a whole new leg. So, until we see his prosthetist (and maybe even for weeks after), he will not be in his leg. We continue to do PT and he is starting to crawl around on his foot. We will likely have him wear his brace until he has a leg, just to protect it.

Q: What does the brace look like?

A:

Q: When are his next scans?

A: Tomorrow morning. I'm a bit worried.

Q: Why are you worried? He is doing great--surely there is no way he could have cancer.

A: Well, the scans are set up to hopefully find any cancer while it is still small--so if he did have cancer, there would be no symptoms yet anyway. The reason they are so close together initially is because the cancer is most likely to come back at the beginning if it will. With osteosarcoma, it can come back anytime in the next 10 years, but the frequency of the scans reflects how likely it is to return. He is very lucky that most people with his stage of cancer will never see it come back. But almost a third of them will, so the chance is certainly still there. Plus, the events of the last week shaken my faith in clean scans, you know? Also, a lung metastisis is a bad thing to have, so you know, the stake are high.

Q: Do you have a realtor?

A: Not yet.

Q: Is Steven's hair curly now?

A: Certainly more than it used to be and really curly when it is wet. We have trimmed up the back and ears a little, but so far, we can't bring ourselves to cut it. It is just too much fun to see all that hair!

So there you have it. I will try to quickly post the scan results tomorrow, so you aren't left hanging. We are praying hard for clean scans tomorrow! And then we can move forward with fieldtrips and science fairs and wish trips and walking and house hunting and helping Alisa in some small way.