03/22/2010
by Michael Wells This is an email I just received from Sherrie and I think is worthwhile sharing: Well, where to begin. Last night Brady kept waking up and crying out in pain. By the time I got out of bed and put the crib rail down he managed to fall asleep again. This kept happening throughout the night. By the time morning rolled around I knew that he had to be given morphine. Well, what a difference it made! Within a half hour Brady was himself again, active, playing, and happy. He had asked for a bottle so I gave him six ounces of water. Shortly after, five ounces came back up. Then around lunch time he asked again. And again, it came back up. So, no food or liquid by mouth for the rest of the day I thought. After all, he is getting all of his nutrition through his IV. But then he had not napped all day and was really getting tired. He asked for a bottle a third time around 5:00 pm. My logical self said, “no way, are you crazy?” but the mommy in me could not deny him what was sure to soothe him. So I compromised with myself and only gave him two ounces. It worked! It stayed down and he fell asleep. Yeah! If the cycle of waking up in pain continues tonight then I will have no choice but to place him on a constant IV drip of morphine. I’m just trying to prolong this process as long as possible. On a happier note, we had a lovely visit from Lily (Brady’s RWJ friend). Lilly and her mom, Gerri, came bearing gifts and were allowed to wave hello through Brady’s window. It was short but very sweet. Lilly looks remarkably well. I can’t wait to sit down with her and have a Mexican feast, as we both love Mexican food. Maybe Jimmy can also join us. And, I’m sure that if I told Lauren that we were serving ribs, she would come also! Sound like a party in the making! As it turns out Brady’s pain is increasing and Sherrie had no choice but to have a morphine drip line started to ease his condition. This is the beginning of the dreadful side effects of his peripheral blood stem cell transplant (BSCT). The awful part is; there is really nothing a parent can do but sit and watch. Just really sucks to see your baby in so much pain. Sherrie also told me that Brady now reaches for the bowl he has in his crib and places it under mouth before his vomits. This just about brings me to tears to think a 19 month old toddler has thrown-up so frequently he knows to reach for his “barf-bucket.” I hate this disease more and more each day. Please continue with your prayers, hugs and good thoughts for both Brady and his Mommy as they enter this phase of his treatment.“8 Years Later—Still No Cure for Pediatric Cancer” is a series of posts revisiting the journal kept by Sherrie and Michael Wells during the cancer diagnosis and treatment of their son, Brady Michael. Hopefully these entires will provide an understanding of the journey families face when dealing with these horrific diseases and of the important work the Hugs for Brady Foundation does.