Obsessed with Food

Iain is learning how to eat. Dalton is learning how to eat. Ian spits up a lot of the time. Dalton spits up a lot of the time. Iain gags if he takes too big a bite. Dalton gags if he takes too big of a bite. Iain gets skiddish after a bad experience. Dalton gets skiddish after a bad experience.

Welcome to our world!

I could have started this post with a million other good things that have happened this week. Each day, Dalton seems to be better and better. His energy is quickly returning and we have been out and about every day this week. On Saturday, we bought and decorated a tree. On Sunday, we made it to church and actually dined out. On Monday, we ventured down to South Coast Plaza. On Tuesday, we hit the Grove and visited with some friends in the evening. Yesterday, we were planning to do some shopping after lunch at Fatburger, but something went wrong and Dalton got sick, so we didn't make it. Still, we were out of the house, somthing which until last Saturday, had not happended for six weeks.

Everything hinges on how Dalton is handling food, and that still isn't predictable. But, we are working on it.

The last thing that Dr. Iqbal said to Dalton was go home, enjoy the holidays, and get fat. Doctors orders! Of course, that's easier said than done for someone who doesn't know how to eat. But...he's doing great. Monday and Wednesday were bad, but Sunday and Tuesday were great. He's had muffins and donuts and pizza and fettucine alfredo and apple fritters and hamburgers. Some things work and some things don't. There's also this dance we're doing with the medications that encourage things to move along, because if he gets too full, then everything comes back up. It's a tricky balancing act that impacts everything we do. We used to joke about how old people are completely obsessed with their digestve systems and now we ARE those people. Sigh. What's up with that?

Dalton has a pre-op stress test on January 10th. The scans are scheduled for January 11th. We see the surgeon, Dr. Demeester, on the 19th (also Dalton's birthday). Based on those dates, we are guessing that surgery will be sometime the week of the 23rd. Dalton is pretty set on the surgery regardless of what the scans show. If the surgeon will operate, Dalton will be operated on. "Anything else would feel like giving up or chickening out."

The first few days were hard for Dalton after hearing what Dr. Iqbal had to say. Lots of tears and talk of whether this would be the last time he put up a Christmas Tree or took the boys shopping for presents. But now, we are just trying to enjoy each day. We take it slow, but we take it. Here's to four weeks of life without cancer treatment.