Last week we were able to take Emma, Merian and Eliza to the zoo. On the way home we did some school shopping in Issaquah and stopped at Trader Joe's for some treats.

Saturday we had a birthday party at Grandma Lewis's for all the August birthday's. There are a lot! It was such a nice relaxing day with our family and it felt like summer is supposed to.

That night, Michael came home from a scout camp out with a wrist injury. It was pretty swollen and painful for him to move. He said he couldn't sleep at night and so I was pretty sure it was broken. It turns out it was a pretty bad break. Both bones were broken clear through with one also having the top part fragmented. The other one was very displaced. Michael received two shots of lidocane into his bone marrow and then the doctor forced the bone back into place. Since it had been a couple of days since the break, his muscles had hardened around the bones and it was not easy to do. I could tell it was a painful experience but Michael was a trouper and during it quipped, "is that all you got?"

He did better then I. Over the past months I've watched Nathan undergo painful procedures and I've hated it. I've held my breath, prayed and sometimes have wanted to cry, but it's different when it's your kid. I thought I was going to pass out or be sick.

His arm was splinted and he is to see an orthopedic surgeon. Great timing! Swimming season is over! He is also very lucky because it is on the same arm, but just below where he broke it when he was younger and had to have two rods put in. We were warned that if he ever broke that arm again it would not be good. At the time I didn't think it would be very likely that he would break the same arm twice.

I wasn't able to do everything  I wanted to get the kids ready for school and I don't want to leave Michael until he sees the ortho and we know he won't need surgery, so Nathan's dad is going to take him up to Seattle and stay with him for a few days this week. I am so glad I get to be with the kids for a few more days and be here for the first day of school, but Nathan is starting radiation this week and I wish I could be with him. It's hard not being able to be in two places at once!

Nathan will start spinal/cranial radiation this Wednesday and have 13 hour long sessions. During that process his spinal fluid will be checked and hopefully cleared of cancer cells. If is is he will move on to total body radiation in preparation for transplant. Once that happens we won't be able to come home anymore. We had hoped to be done by Christmas, but it doesn't look like that will be the case.

I am glad we were able to come home this weekend. Nathan was able to give the kids back to school father's blessings.

Starting the transplant is scary because the other side is uncertain, but it is the only way out of this and it will be good to get started. Having it be so hard to get rid of the cancer makes the transplant a welcomed event instead of a dreaded one.

It will all be okay.

We were able to go home for a few weekends and have brought the kids up to stay with us. The first week we brought Megan and Norah and were able to take them to the aquarium. This week we have Emma, Merian, and Eliza with us. It is so fun to have the kids here. I'm glad we have been able to do this before school and Nathan's transplant starts. We need to find a way to get the boys up next! Once Nathan starts the transplant process we will have to stay within 20 minutes of the hospital. When Nathan was in the hospital for a week of chemo he said it felt kind of like being in a nice prison.

It always feels surreal going back and forth between home and Seattle. Where ever we are, the life we leave behind seems like a dream. When I'm home, I wish I could freeze time and keep us all together, but I guess everyone wants that. I don't like to think about the day the kids will grow up and leave! I love being with them and being able to hold them.


Nathan has had lumbar punctures with chemo twice a week with the goal of clearing his spinal fluid of cancerous cells. This weekend we were told that the cancer cells might have mutated, his LP's for this week were canceled and we met with a radiation oncologist that specializes in cranial and spinal radiation. We have our consult with the team tomorrow morning to find out more but it looks like Nathan will be starting cranial and spinal radiation next week. He will undergo radiation for two weeks and then another LP will take place to determine if his spinal fluid is clear. After that it will be full body radiation to prepare for transplant.

We wanted to avoid extra radiation to his brain, (total body radiation was already part of the transplant) but chemo isn't being effective and that treatment is not good for his brain either. After meeting with the doctor today, we see that this is the path that we must take. As an interesting side note, we found out that Nathan will be given tattoos as markers for them to place the rays. How weird is that? He is going to be so scarred and marked up when this thing is over!
 Megan seems to have everything running smoothly at home (and she's still smiling!) She amazes me. Michael and Emma have impressed me when I've been home by doing their services (what we call chores) without being reminded. They take care of the younger kids and ask me what they can do to help. After our tree blew over in the windstorm, Michael chopped it up into pieces and filled the garbage can without being asked.


I really wish I was home for the start of school. It is such an exciting time and so important to start new routines. I know the kids will do fine, but I'm a little bit nervous since we've been homeschooling.


I came home to two stacks of medical bills. If it wasn't for the generosity of so many people, I don't know how we could do this! 

Since I posted last time we were able to go home for the weekend. While we were gone:

• Michael grew taller than Nathan
• Derek lost his two front teeth!
• Norah began to talk so much more and so much clearer
• Merian grew enough to put the dishes in the upper cabinets away
• Peter missed the kids and the kids misses Peter. They loved being together again.

While we were home we took Derek, Eliza, Norah and Peter on a bike ride and Emma and Merian to Adventures Underground. We tried to do something with Megan and Michael, but teenagers have busy schedules. Hopefully we'll get to go home again and do something.

Monday morning we left for the UW Medical Center. There, Nathan received Hyper CVAC part B. He was discharged on Friday. While he was there Nathan had an MRI that did not show any brain tumors. The chemo he received should penetrate into his spinal column and, along with the lumbar puncture with chemo, hopefully will rid his spinal fluid of cancer cells. We will find out the results of his Monday LP today and he will also receive another one. 

Nathan enjoyed the food at the hospital. I wish they were serving the same thing in the cafeteria. It was hard to find anything healthy there. It seems counter intuitive that a hospital should sell so much junk. While we were there, Peter and I went on walks around the beautiful UW campus. I look forward to showing the castle-esq buildings to the kids when they come visit.

Nathan's blood pressure was low when he was discharged so we have spent everyday since then in an infusion room for him to receive liquids and transfusions as his counts have fallen. Sometimes we are there for seven hours. When you add that to the other appointments, that makes for a long day at the clinic. Nathan has had a couple of rough days being sick and in pain, but all the fluids and transfusions are helping and he is looking better. Hopefully he'll be ready for transplant soon and we will get a short trip home while we wait.

Peter loves all the attention he gets from nurses and people in elevators. We spend so much time in elevators! I've probably ridden more in the last month than in my entire life!

I miss the kids but I'm glad they are having a fun summer. I can't believe it's already August. Seattle is cold and gray a lot of times so it feels like we are skipping summer this year.

I'm glad we've been able to go back home a couple times, but it feels like I am living a double life. When I am home, Seattle seems like a dream and, when I am here, home seems so far away. I look forward to things settling down and having the kids visit.

Wednesday was Harry Potter's birthday. Since it is in between Emma's and Merian's birthdays they decided to have a combined birthday party then. It sounds like it was a success. I'll have them write about all the details.

Peter is waking up so I'd better get him ready for the day and meet Nate at the clinic.