CHEMO #5 IS OVER AND “YES, THEOFANIS, YOU’RE RIGHT. IT’S NOT FAIR.”

Theo knows the drill.  Check into the SPA. Get vitals and blood drawn. Get hydration started. Get escorted to the oncology wing of the 6^th floor of Comer Children’s Hospital. Unpack and set up the room. Ask for the travelling Wii system. Then wait for the Chemo bags to arrive. For as much as Kosta and Eleni try to distract him from thinking about it, he knows when chemo starts. His energy is zapped right out of him. It's not necessarily the chemo drugs, but it could be the Zofran, or the Ativan, or the Bendadryl, etc......... Yes, Theo knows the drill all too well.

And although the doctors and the nurses continue to tell him he’s doing great, and in spite of the constant reminders from mom and dad that they are proud of him, you can see how this cancer is trying to invade and crush his spirit. "Fight, sweetheart, fight!"

On day two of chemo, as Eleni, Demetra and Sophia were getting ready to leave the hospital to head home for the night, Theo sadly looked at them and said, "I don't want you to go." As Eleni hugged him tight and told him she'd be back in the morning, he cried and cried and cried. He hid under the covers when his nurse Courtenay came to check on him. His sisters cried, too. And then he said it. "It's not fair!" And all that Kosta and Eleni could do was cry with him and in their hearts agree with him. "I want to go home," he said. "We will all go home together soon," they reassured him.

Chemo #5 is done, and Theofanis knows there's one more round of chemotherapy left. But treatment needs to continue, and Eleni and Kosta have started to talk to Theo about what comes next. "You'll have surgery to take out the tumor in your belly. Then, after Chemo #6, you'll have scans to make sure that all the cancer cells are gone. Then, the doctors will focus on making your healthy cells healthier! They're going to put back your stem cells and make them into SUPER HEALTHY CELLS!" That's the plan, and Kostaki and Eleni are praying non-stop that it happens that way. And they are praying constantly that God grant them the strength to be able to reassure and comfort their son when he feels it's unfair.

THE SPOT

This 5^th round of chemo induction was identical as the third cycle. And, like the third, these drugs cause severe nausea. He was given the “three drug cocktail” of Zofran, Ativan and Benadryl to control “the yuckies.”

• Chemo Day 1 @ 6:00 pm: Etoposide & Cisplatin. 1 hour infusion each. 
• Chemo Day 2 @ 6:00 pm: Etoposide & Cisplatin. 1 hour infusion each.
• Chemo Day 3 @ 6:00 pm: Etoposide & Cisplatin. 1 hour infusion each. 
• Chemo Day 4 @ 7:00 pm: Cisplatin 1 hour infusion.

Theofanis' nausea was tolerable the first couple of days, but as more medicine entered body, the vomitting began and at various hours of the day and night. When Theo was discharged from the hospital on Monday morning, he left with bucket in hand, but with a huge smile on his face, too! Since then, Theofanis has been taking doses of the three drug cocktail at increments of every two hours, and thus, Kosta and Eleni have not slept for longer than two hours at a time. (That's why the blog hasn't been updated in awhile.) As of today, Theofanis has been vomit-free for 48 hours, and mom and dad have started to cut back on the anti-nausea meds. They are hoping to be completely off the medication by early next week. And so far, his blood counts are holding up. But, he's definitely tired. He's starting to eat more, little by little. And his temperature is holding steady, too. "Fight, sweetheart, fight!"

TIME TO DO WHAT ALL KIDS HAVE TO DO...GO TO SCHOOL!

On Monday, straight from the hospital, the Yianas family went to register for school. The first stop was at Pythagoras and the next stop was Marion Jordan. All the kids saw their teachers, saw their rooms, and definitely got excited about the upcoming school year. It's a bit difficult for Theofanis to accept the uncertainty of when he could go to school, how often he could go, and how he's going to stay connected while he's in the hospital and at home.  With the loving support from all his teachers, administrators, and fellow classmates, we know that Theo can do it!

WITH FAITH, LOVE AND PRAYER HE WILL WIN!

Theofanis' spirit is always buoyed by visitors during his hospital stays and this time it was no different.  Mrs. Patty, Mrs. Dina and Mrs. Georgia came to visit Theo armed with many gifts and games to help him pass the time.  Also, his Theia Maria came by with Theo's cousins, Peter and Emelia. Theo and Peter played Wii and worked on Theo's latest Lego set, Emelia played with her Theio Kosta and Maria visited with Eleni.  Also visiting were Nouna and Nouno with Costa and Dora.  They brought with them the holy unction and a beautiful icon from their trip to the Virgin Mary's Monastery in Tinos, Greece, as they promised they would.  The love and support and prayers are working and Theofanis benefits from knowing that so many love him so much. With all he has experienced and endured to this point, and the many days of therapy that remain ahead of him, this knowledge will sustain, uplift and bolster him through the coming months.

Exodus 14:13-14

Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."

Theo, be still and faithful. Let the LORD heal you and fight for you.