Four down...four to go

We are now half way through post surgery chemo. Approximately 12 weeks to go. Then we have to get the frame off and have several years of physio...But physio is heaps better than chemo!! Reid handled this last lot of chemo not as well as the one before. His platelets plummeted to 6, and so needed a transfusion around day 8. We went to Brisbane to have this as it timed up with an appointment with Dr Steadman. We were to see Dr Steadman the previous week, the day after we got out of hospital. Valentines Day. This was a dumb idea cos poor little Reid was very tired and still not well so to put him back into a car and drive back to Brisbane was stupid to say the least. He and I got as far as Ipswich and he was very sick all over his clothes, the car etc. Luckily Rich and Sarah are Ipswichians, so I took the first detour and Rich took me out to his place for Reid to get cleaned up and then we made our way back to Toowoomba. Its great having family so strategically positioned!
This break has beenvery good for Reid and he seems to have put on some weight. Although I am still depending on the NG tube for his medicines, and to keep the weight on.
The appointment with Dr Staedman went very well. He was very happy with Reid's walking and his x-ray showed that the fibular has now mended well with the remaing tibia. However he does not want the frame removed just yet, and was quite adament thet the longer it stays on then the stronger the fibular will be when it is finally removed. Reid will see Dr Pinkus (The Ortho who put the frame on) on Tuesday and he will probably adjust the frame to allow some more weight to be felt by bone.
Mum heads down to Brisbane with Reid tomorrow. I am sitting this one out. I am so lucky to have Mum to do this for me, however I can't help feeling a little 'lost'. Mum will handle everything beautifully, I think its just that I have only had one day away from Reid since his diagnosis...but I am now an official spokeman for "Clear Day" a charity that promotes the importance of 'Time Out' so I had better take my own advice and relax!!
Clear Day has been accepted and taken on as an initiative with Childhood Cancer Support. Dani and I are thrilled with their enthusiam to take us on. I will be speaking at Reid's Benefit dinner on Friday nite to offically lauch 'Clear Day' and a lot of the funds raised on the night will be going to 'Clear Day' to get us up and started! I am very proud of this new project, and it is so exciting to see something so fun and good come from such a huge disruption.
No doubt you have heard all about the Benefit dinner being held for Reid and Clear day this coming Friday nite. If not go to the web site www.reidsbenefit.com.au for all the details. David and I are totally blown away with this. A group of close friends of mine (all Mums at school) got together and decided to organise a dinner to help raise funds for Reid's rehabilitation. So far 320 seats have been sold and some amazing sponsorship money has been donated. Its going to be a wonderful night organised by 7 wonderful girls, and we don't know how to thank them enough.
Also this week Alex will have a small operation to remove a mole in her hairline. The doctors are not too concerned about the mole but they do feel that it has to be removed. We will go in to Day surgery on Wednesday and Alex will have a couple of days off school (yay!!) I think she actually wanted the whole week off.... But hankfully Mum will be in charge of Reid and Chemo, so I will be able to concentrate on Ally-pal.
Reid will be spoilt rotten over the next two days. And I feel better already....