December 7th - Chemotherapy Treatment # 69

Friday was a fairly typical day for Peyton. It was a treatment day only so that makes the day easier. Peyton had taken his iPod into the hospital with him, and after a bit of convincing, he "performed" for several doctors and nurses! He sang "I Won't Give Up" by Jason Mraz. He sure knows how to get people to smile, and he can certainly pull on everyone's heartstrings...... He was also excited to have some special one-on-one time with Ms. Pat. She's the creative arts therapist at the hospital, and he loves getting to work with her. She came and helped him make some special Christmas cards. We will return for treatment and MRI on December 21st. Praying for some good news!!!!!!

October-November 2012 - Chemotherapy Treatments #65-68

I'm a bit behind with updating the blog. I can't believe how fast time gets away from us. I'll combine the notes together and get myself back on track. Peyton's October and November treatments continued to go fairly easy and uneventful. We are so thankful the Avastin (chemo) is a very tolerable drug. Peyton has very little side effects with this. On October 26th Peyton had two eye tests done. His eye doctor has concluded that Peyton's deteriorating vision is caused from the tumor on his optic nerve. They had been concerned that maybe toxicity from the chemotherapy itself was causing nerve damage, but again the tests revealed it's the tumor doing all the damage to the optic nerves. We were fairly certain the vision loss was from the tumor, but it's always good to check everything out. We still have not had any luck with this particular tumor shrinking, but thankfully there's no new growth. We continue to pray for results. Peyton's vision has remained stable so doctors said we won't have to bring him back for 4 months! His next eye appointment isn't until February. We have previously been having to schedule appointments every 2-3 months. Peyton is doing very well in school! We are so proud of him and the accomplishments he's making. It's quite magical to watch a child learn to read! It's even more special when you know they have obstacles, and they are still making it happen! He is on grade level in all areas and working above grade level on his Phonics skills! We are proud parents indeed. He loves school and his attitude continues to be an inspiration for all of us.