Yes you read that title correctly!!!!! We'd gotten a few smiles along the way but truthfully we haven't heard Nathan laugh in over a month! But that all changed this week!
Monday, was Nathan's last day on the steroid he'd been taking. In addition to all of the other side effects I'd mentioned before, another steroid side effect was intense mood swings. His child life specialist described it as feeling like you have PMS literally around the clock (yeah not fun ladies). But anyway they'd began weening him off of it and Monday was the last day and on Tuesday his demeanor started changing. He actually started playing again!!!!!! Before Nathan was diagnosed with cancer him and Peyton would go into the toy box and pull everything out, well it happened today for the first time in a LONG time. I didn't even mind cleaning up the mess they made.
Then came the laughing!!!! I mean laughing so hard he was doubled over! We haven't heard that sound coming from him in quite awhile. He's been smiling almost constantly and playing with Peyton around the clock. Today they were on the floor next to each other laughing hysterically!!!
He's also started sleeping better. Sam and I were getting up with him 5 to 6 times a night. This morning when we woke up we asked each other how many times the other got up and the answer was just once (we'd both gotten up to tend to him). But we were blown away that it was the only time he called to us. Sometimes one of us is so tired we don't hear the other get up so we don't always know until we count it up in the morning and yes, we only got up with him once last night so he's sleeping better!!!!!!
When he went for his chemo yesterday the doctors and nurses were also happy to see him in such a good mood, because he's been down for awhile now.
I'm also glad to report that he's not on any pain medication right now!!! Yes that's right! For now the pain medications have stopped.
Now next week the Ear Nose Throat (ENT) team will have a look down his throat again. Unfortunately Nathan still doesn't have a voice, everything that comes out of him is extremely strained and very high pitched so they have to check and see what damage the radiation possibly did to his vocal cords. He's laughing and it's just the most pleasant sound to us no matter how it comes out but we want to hear his voice getting better so the ENT will have a look this week.
Dear Lord
THANK YOU!!!!!!! Thank you so much for this week. Lord thank you for Nathan's laughter and the joy in him. He seems happy this week and we're so thankful for that.
Thank you so much that he's able to play and even run!!!! Lord his smile is the most beautiful sight to us right now. Thank you for the amount of time him and Peyton are spending with each other, just running and laughing out loud.
Lord I know we got a lot ahead still, but I'm so very thankful for these intermittent times of happiness that you still allow us to have!!!!
In Jesus Name
Amen
I'm happy to hear this.
ReplyDeleteYeah these moments are extra special right now :-)
ReplyDelete