12/26/2009
by Michael Wells How can a dark, dreary, cold, and rainy, December morning somehow be peaceful and serene? It’s very simple; have your very sick baby sleep through the night. Brady settled down around 10pm and has stayed that way all night. Sherrie and I had a lovely night’s sleep on the “rack” which is really designed for a Pigmy and not 2 people over 6 feet tall. That little gripe a side; I am so glad we both stayed at the hospital last night just in case things continued to be as crazy as they were yesterday afternoon and evening. Thank God things were not crazy and it turned out to be a rather peaceful and pleasant night. Maninsha was Brady’s nurse tonight and she is just spectacular. She goes above and beyond with her warmth and attention to detail. Last night I specifically requested her and I was not disappointed with my request. She has bonded with Brady as if he were her own child and you cannot begin to imagine how a kind, knowledgeable nurse can really make such a difference in helping you through such a difficult time. In fact, all the nurses and staff in this unit are true professionals and just wonderful people. Dr. Drachtman was the attending physician yesterday and this allowed us an opportunity to spend some quality time with him. He is on board with our decision to have a transplant conducted at CHOP. He is speculating Brady will be in “full” remission after this round of chemo but until we have the bone marrow biopsy performed I’m not getting too excited. He also told us we will be back for a 3rd round of chemotherapy before the transplant. So, right now we will hopefully be home by this time next week (for about a week) and then it’s back here for more fun for about 4 – 6 weeks followed by the transplant in Philadelphia sometime in February. I just helped with Brady’s respiratory treatment. By this I mean, I climbed into his crib and held the oxygen atomizer while it sent vaporized antibiotics into Brady’s airways to help him breath. All the time I’m doing this he’s calling out; “Ma, Ma.” It was just too cute. He’s sleeping again and so is Sherrie. As for me, I’m going to get a cup of coffee and start my day. Until next time; let’s hope today is better than yesterday and all your good thoughts, prayers and hugs start paying dividends… So, until next time; pray harder we really need some help!!!“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.