Round 2 of Chemotherapy, also known as the Consolidation phase, lasted about a month. It is in this phase that the remaining Leukemia cells are targeted. Thankfully, Jaxsen flew through Consolidation without any issues. He was off steroids, so he had regained all of the energy that he had previously lost...and then some! We were still unable to leave the house for extended periods of time due to his compromised immune system, so unfortunately he had to figure out a way to use up that energy while being confined in the house. We spent most of our days doing puzzles, playing with dinosaurs, coloring, watching Jurassic Park (his new obsession), and building forts out of couch cushions. He definitely was feeling stir-crazy at moments, which is a terrible thing to combine with a ton of energy! But we somehow figured out a way to make it work each day.
As part of his treatment in this phase, Jaxsen needed to get a spinal tap every 7 days. The purpose of these spinal taps were to administer chemo directly into the spinal column to attack any Leukemia cells that might have made their way into it, and to prevent any new cells from coming in. Thankfully, Jaxsen's Leukemia was caught really early, before any cancer cells could make their way into his spinal column. This means that the spinal taps that he received were just done as a preventative measure. This didn't make it any easier to see Jaxsen receive anesthesia every week before the treatment, though. One of the hardest things I've to do is not bawl my eyes out as my baby drifts off to sleep in my arms. I am not sure why this affects me so much time after time. It might be nervousness about the upcoming spinal tap, or a feeling of remorse that Jaxsen's little body has to endure so many pokes and prods. I am so grateful that Jax will have no memory of any of these procedures or needles when he gets older.
Valentine's Day started the first day of Consolidation. On that day, and on the following two Fridays, Jaxsen needed the spinal tap. He did well each time. His blood counts came back normal and he recovered from each procedure perfectly. Which meant no more trips to the ER for us!
As Jaxsen became more familiar with the procedures and the routines at the hospital, he also became more inquisitive about what was going on. He watched with curiosity as the nurse accessed his port (by placing a needle in his chest) and he often wanted to help the nurses draw his blood and administer the saline solution. He is a very hands-on kid who is clearly going to have a future in the medical field!
On the day of his final spinal tap in the Consolidation phase, the nurse surprised Jaxsen by telling him that they were going to have a water fight in the room! She gave Jaxsen a plastic syringe and filled a little bucket with water. She showed Jax how to fill the syringe with water and then told him to wait patiently for the anesthesiologist, Dr. Zuckerburg, to enter the room. As soon as he walked in, Jaxsen squirted him with the water! Dr. Zuckerburg was a great sport and immediately laughed about it. But then he got in on the action, too! He filled a syringe of water and started to squirt Jax. Before long, the nurses, Dr. Zuckerburg, Jaxsen, mommy, and daddy were all soaking wet! The only one who was spared was Dr. Unguru, the pediatric oncologist who did the spinal tap. All too soon, the fun came to an end and Dr. Zuckerburg gave Jax his anesthesia in preparation for the procedure. Jaxsen helped push the anesthesia into his port and quickly fell asleep. Once again, mommy and daddy were left fighting back tears as Jax slipped off into dreamland. It's a good thing we know Jax is in good hands at Sinai!
As Jaxsen became more familiar with the procedures and the routines at the hospital, he also became more inquisitive about what was going on. He watched with curiosity as the nurse accessed his port (by placing a needle in his chest) and he often wanted to help the nurses draw his blood and administer the saline solution. He is a very hands-on kid who is clearly going to have a future in the medical field!
On the day of his final spinal tap in the Consolidation phase, the nurse surprised Jaxsen by telling him that they were going to have a water fight in the room! She gave Jaxsen a plastic syringe and filled a little bucket with water. She showed Jax how to fill the syringe with water and then told him to wait patiently for the anesthesiologist, Dr. Zuckerburg, to enter the room. As soon as he walked in, Jaxsen squirted him with the water! Dr. Zuckerburg was a great sport and immediately laughed about it. But then he got in on the action, too! He filled a syringe of water and started to squirt Jax. Before long, the nurses, Dr. Zuckerburg, Jaxsen, mommy, and daddy were all soaking wet! The only one who was spared was Dr. Unguru, the pediatric oncologist who did the spinal tap. All too soon, the fun came to an end and Dr. Zuckerburg gave Jax his anesthesia in preparation for the procedure. Jaxsen helped push the anesthesia into his port and quickly fell asleep. Once again, mommy and daddy were left fighting back tears as Jax slipped off into dreamland. It's a good thing we know Jax is in good hands at Sinai!
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