COURAGE REVISITED

He's Through With Chemo Cycle #2!

Theofanis finished his second cycle of chemotherapy on Sunday, almost six weeks from the day he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma.  Starting on Wednesday, June 8th, he spent five days on the sixth floor of Comer Children's Hospital in Room 629.  For as many people he met in his first cycle of chemotherapy, he met almost as many this time around. He met a few new nurses (Vanessa, Laticia and Vicki) and had a couple of nurses from before (Abby and Frances). Dr. Cohn complimented Theo on how good he looks. She commented that he had good color in his lips. And, she told him he looked handsome with his new haircut! Everyone loved his new do!

Theofanis started out at the "SPA" (Special Procedures Area) where he was given a check up and the thumbs up that he was good to start his second round of chemo. Things were starting to feel a bit more familiar for Theofanis (and for Eleni and Kosta, too) and settling in for his chemo treatment was a little "easier" this time around. Theo's positive energy and outlook made things much easier to accept and process.  Mom and Dad continue to marvel at how patient and understanding Theofanis is throughout this entire uncomfortable, draining, and unwelcomed chemo treatment.

His energy level throughout the five days fluctuated, and it was easy to see that he was bored at times. He brought a lot of books from home to read. He and his sisters signed up for the Palatine Library's Summer Reading Program. He needs to read 1200 pages by the end of July. 1200 pages...not a problem for Theofanis! He read a little bit and spent some time on his second grade workbook, but it was clear that he didn't seem as excited to do much of anything. But, there were many moments where he perked up. He really enjoyed watching the Dallas Mavericks beat the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the Finals, especially since Miami eliminated our Bulls from the Playoffs. He also put together a mere 3+ Lego sets, played some "Body Parts" Bingo through a video feed from the playroom (and won), beat his Dad in Connect Four at a rate of four games to one (seriously, he did, and it was embarrassing for dad).  Mom inflated the latex hospital gloves into balloons, and Theofanis tried to pop them by sitting on them. He also had some video Face Time with Demetra, Sophia, Giagia Sofia & Giagia Agni at home. He also Face Timed with Thea Angie, Filia and baby Anthony, and made funny faces so that Filia could laugh.

His sisters were unable to visit him at the hospital during this round of chemo because Sophia had developed a bad cough and was taking antibiotics. Sophia had to get better before Theofanis came home, and we had to make sure that Demetra didn't catch what Sophia had. There was one night when all three Yianas kids were split up, and Theofanis commented that it was the first time that they all slept apart from eachother. Nobody really slept well that night.

THE SPOT

Theofanis' Second Round of Chemotherapy Treatment was administered every 20 hours.  It was as follows:

·         Chemo Day 1 @ 5:00 pm: Cytoxan and Topotecan.  1/2 hour infusion each. 

·         Chemo Day 2 @ 1:00 pm:  Cytoxan and Topotecan.  1/2 hour infusion each. 

·         Chemo Day 3 @ 9:00 am:  Cytoxan and Topotecan.  1/2 hour infusion each. 

·         Chemo Day 4 @ 5:00 am:  Cytoxan and Topotecan.  1/2 hour infusion each. 

·         Chemo Day 5 @ 1:00 am:  Cytoxan and Topotecan.  1/2 hour infusion each.

All infusions were under the watchful eye of Mom and Dad, or at least one of them, including Day 4 and 5 which were in the middle of the night. No sleep for Mommy on Day 4 or Daddy on Day 5.

Although Theo is doing well, it is not without side effects. The medicine made him more nauseated this time around and he did vomit, sometimes more than once per day despite the anti-nausea medication he was given. Further, it was a challenge for him to eat relative to his habits at home. He had to be prodded to eat what otherwise would be wolfed down in a matter of minutes. He really dislikes the hospital food and claims it smells and tastes bad. The chemo is making him much more sensitive to smells and it's definitely affecting his taste buds. So, mom and dad brought bags of food from home. He ate only a few bites of food at each meal, and often didn't even keep that down. The doctors increased the frequency of the Zofran, the anti-nausea medicine, from every 8 hours to every 6.

Theofanis' blood counts are dropping faster during this round of chemo. His hemoglobin level was low enough on Saturday morning to warrant a blood transfusion. He spent the afternoon in bed, and he and his parents watched the donor blood slowly enter his body through his central line over a 3 hour period.  Theofanis' blood type is A-Positive. "It's an A+," his parents told him! Theofanis responded very well to his first blood transfusion. His hemoglobin counts went up on Sunday. But, as expected, his WBC continued to drop. It was down to 1.8 on day 5. The doctors told us it will drop to zero.

Theofanis was discharged from the hospital on Sunday morning and was able to be home before noon.  When he left the hospital, he commented on the weather change. (It was 98 degrees when he was admitted and the temperature had dropped down into the 50's while he was there.) To say that he was thrilled to see his sisters is an understatement. He also was happy to sit down with the family to eat lunch. He even got to stop by his cousin Peter's birthday party in the afternoon where he played soccer and baseball with the other kids.

WITH LOVE AND PRAYER HE WILL WIN

The next couple of weeks will be very busy for Theofanis as he will be back to Comer Children's Hospital. On Monday, June 20th, Theofanis will undergo a stem cell harvest procedure.  He will spend a night in the hospital during which, over a period of two days, his own stem cells will be extracted and harvested from his blood and then stored for his upcoming stem cell transplant that will take place in a few months.

After the stem cell harvest, Theofanis will also repeat scans that will evaluate how well the neuroblastoma cells in his body are responding to the chemotherapy. He will have a CT scan, an MIBG scan, and another Bone Marrow Biopsy.  

Our prayers are that: (1) the CT scan will show that the primary tumor is shrinking;  (2) the MIBG scan will not detect any active neuroblastoma cells in his body besides the known cancer tumor in his left ulna (elbow) AND that the elbow does "not light up" or "lights up less" than the first scan done during his initial diagnosis; and (3) the bone marrow will continue to be negative for neuroblastoma.  We prayerfully need these tests to show that the chemotherapy is working.

Every day, the Yianas family thanks God for all the support and love that has come to them by family, friends, co-workers and their community. They also feel very blessed to have so many people come to visit and support Theofanis. Thank you to Thea Georgia, Theo Dave and cousins Sophia and Anna for visiting.  Also, Thea Alexandra, Thea Irini, Thea Dena and Thea Nickie also came to say hello. Thanks also to those who called asking to come by, and thanks for understanding that we needed to wait until next time.

And thanks to all who have been helping our family at home. To our grandmothers, their constant help is invaluable. To the Scarlatis family who graciously opened their home to Demetra (and to Sophia, too, if she didn't get sick) and who dropped off food for Eleni and Kosta, we thank you so much. And to all of you who lend an ear when we call to talk or cry, we thank you for listening and for your encouragement.

Everyone's prayers and good thoughts are what are sustaining Theofanis and his family through this difficult time. Thank you to all for reaching out to us and supporting our family and our little boy. Please continue your strong prayers to God as we know he hears us and will cure Theofanis!


Philippians 4:12-13
"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want, I can do everything through him who gives me strength."