We're finally Home!!!

Tommy got to come home today, after a long week of intense chemo, poking, drugs, doctors, nurses, scares, and lots of laughs and tears. We came home to a big Welcome Home Tommy sign on the door, and his Aunt Tami, Uncle Bryan and his Grandma decorated his room so cute with balloons, new bedding, and toys! We spent the night hanging out with Grandma, Nana and the family, it is sooooo good to have him home. He took his first bath in a week, and that was kindof tough because we had to make sure he didn't get his port wet, but he enjoyed the HOT water. He is feeling so much better today, and he is acting so much more like Tommy.
Today he had to get his first of many PEG shots into the deep muscle of his thigh. PEG is another chemo drug that kills the amino acid asperiginase (sorry about the spelling), which helps leukemia to grow. They have found that if they kill this amino acid they are helping to kill the leukemia as well. He was actually really strong, Tom told him they were going to do it before they did and he was really scared. The two nurses did the 2 needles at the same time into his thigh and Tommy was really stron, he cried a little but not too bad. They said they have a lot of kids that need to be held down because they hit and kick the nurses. I am so proud of him. They have to watch him for a few hours after to make sure he doesn't have any sort of reaction, if he does they don't do anymore PEG shots.
Before we left they had to give him another bag of platelets because his level was only at 21, which is pretty low. He had the platelets and we were able to go home. Taking him home was as scary or even more scary than taking home a newborn baby. I was making sure that we had the house clean, which I owe HUGE thanks to Meleesa, my sister and my cute nieces for coming and slaving away at home, THANK YOU! Tom cleaned the car, carseats, we drove very carefully home, obeying the speed limit which is a plus for Tom, and just as nervous as can be. Now I'm the nurse and I have to make sure he stays healthy and gets all his meds, he gets 2 doses of his dexamethazone steroid a day (the mad pill), prevacid for acids caused by all the leukemia cells dying, antibiotics, pain meds, stool softeners, and an anti-nausea medicine. WOW! I am quite overwhelmed.
We have an appointment Friday, the day after Christmas to get our 2nd round of Chemo, he has to get another Bone Marrow Biopsy, and another back poke (Lumbar Puncture) to continue to treat the spinal fluid for Leukemia that may sneek in there and hide. So that'll be another tough day, and then we'll come home and go up to Primary's once a week.
Thank you all for your thoughtfulness, all you wonderful messages, calls, cards, gifts, visits, generosity, and especially prayers. I am sure that I will be needing all of you who asked what you can do to help, I am feeling the pressure. Tom has been such a huge strength to me, I couldn't do this without him. He has been by mine and Tommy's side the whole time, even with all the other stresses he has to deal with. Nothing else matters now, it puts life into perspective very quickly. I am so happy to have Tommy home for Christmas, that is all I wanted. May we all think of Christ and his life and love for us as we celebrate this Christmas season. Merry Christmas!