Super Blogger Strikes Again...

Two posts in a week..oh my something has come over me :) This time I wanted to write about running, or just being healthy in general. I've always been fairly healthy and have tried to stay in decent shape. Of course that has included some spurts of activity and some long stretches of none but overall, pretty balanced. Shaun had a very active lifestyle with lots of exercise, sports and lifting. Its one of the many reasons I loved him. We were a lot alike. I think I equated a healthy lifestyle with true balance in life as well. If I'm able to manage stress, work, home life etc and still workout, that means I'm doing well. But then I got pregnant, had a baby, and soon after, Shaun was diagnosed with cancer. Priorities shifted. My new goal was to spend every possible moment outside of work with Shaun and Bryce. We instituted the every weekend adventure rule. Every weekend, the three of us would go somewhere fun and make memories. Some of my favorites were running up and down the big sled hill (with Jeremiah and Elaine), mini golfing at Navy Pier (with Phillip Parnell), going to the botanic garden (with the Dunns or the Hubbards), so many adventures :) I don't know that Bryce remembers most or even any of them, but I'm certainly glad we did that. But all that time I felt like life was imbalanced. I had always equated working out with normalcy so I was disappointed in myself for not being able to find time/motivation during this time. Of course, it needed to be this way. I would have regretted missing out on time with Shaun. But now that 9 months have passed since he died, I get to re-evaluate my priorities and find a new balance. So I started running again. I really have to thank Katy Laux Albin for the motivation. She wanted to run a race with me. I was hesitant since I hadn't run in a long time. So my stipulations were 1.) it had to be a 5K and 2.) it had to be in the evening. I hate morning runs. So she emails me and says there is a Big Ten race downtown in July (this was in early June) to support our respective alma maters (UofI and IU). But, its a 10K and it starts at 7:30am. Ok so both my criteria were thrown out the window, but I accepted anyways. And hurried up and bought a treadmill within a week ;) The training has been fun. I actually kind of enjoyed letting my mind wander, listening to music, and just being free. I ran my first 10K ever on Saturday morning. And with Katy's help and support, I finished, even sprinted the last 100 meters or so. It might not have been the fasted time, but we didn't walk. I made my goal of finishing but more importantly, I managed to reach my goal of getting life back on track again. I know the new job and continued stresses around the house will challenge me, but at least now I feel better equipped to deal with them. I got this ;)

Long lost blogger

I had all but given up on blogging. I didn't feel inspired anymore. I didn't feel inspirational anymore. I didn't feel like there were critical updates to our lives that needed documenting. Life was just happening without my controlling it. So, I just didn't feel like it. But I'm glad I've found some focus and purpose. The updates on the blog will still be about Bryce and me and the everyday events in our lives, but I feel like they are more under my control. I'm driving this car called life instead of it driving me. So since the last time I posted (forever ago I know, back when Bryce turned 3, almost 6 months ago), a few things have changed. Bryce started preschool and was awesome in how well he adapted and fit right in. The program is through Wheeling High School (my alma mater, and where my dad currently works), its all day and chock full of preschool awesomeness. He learned so much in just a few months. I can't wait for him to go back in the fall, as are my parents I'm sure since they've been watching him all summer! He's broken out of his shy shell and really engages with the other students. So this summer, its been fun to hear of his playdates and excursions with his friends from preschool. There have also been several birthday parties this summer which Bryce has had a ton of fun at...pictured is his friend Ian's birthday where they got to learn everything about fire departments and fire safety. The other big news, drum roll please.... I got a new job!! I started at Baxter last week as a Research Scientist. Leaving Northwestern was bitter sweet. It had been a great job for me during the past two years. It was flexible and understanding of my family commitments and I think I achieved a good balance between work and family life, for what I needed then. But it was always the goal to move to industry. End my commute downtown, get something closer to home and that pays more money. I know money isn't everything in a career, but as a single mom, the money definitely helps :) My commute is about half the time which I love. I haven't managed to work in more time with Bryce since I'm leaving the same time in the morning and coming home the same time as I did, I'm just working a lot more!! But I think its a fair tradeoff. A few months ago someone asked me where I was going in my career. I thought to myself, career? I can't think more than a day ahead, let alone big picture right now. So I'm proud that I'm in a good place now. Able to take on change and not fear it. Able to take on challenges way too big for me to tackle just a few months ago. Of course my grief is still with me, it always will be. But with the help of those who love us, Bryce and I have really been able to move on and live our lives. I guess thats all we can do and all Shaun ever wanted for us.

Bryce is 3!!

Happy Birthday to my Little Dude. I can't believe how fast you are growing up before my eyes. I am so proud of you and the amazing little person you are becoming. I really shouldn't call you munchkin anymore seeing that you are as big as a 5 year old!! Your Dad would be so proud of all that you are learning. There is so much of him in you. I know I have my work cut out for me to keep you challenged and its just a matter of time before I won't be able to win debates against you. I love how logical you think and how you can use your negotiation skills to find solutions that make everyone happy. You have an amazing memory and grasp of context. Plus, I'm pretty sure you can add and subtract. How cool is that? Socially, you've blossomed and are comfortable enough to jump right in and play with other kids, no matter what their age. You are creative and funny and an absolute joy. Thanks for making my job as a Mommy so much fun. Love you more Munchkin.

My First Jimmy V Foundation Event = Success

Sorry about the delay but I wanted to let everyone know how the Jimmy V foundation fundraiser went a couple of weeks ago. Jeremiah and I headed up to Elgin Community College to meet with Coach Jerry McLaughlin and his women's basketball team. Coach McLaughlin is an inspirational man who's life, like so many of ours, has been unfortunately touched by cancer. But being surrounded by generous, loving people growing up has made him an unbelievably generous person willing to give everything he has to people and causes he believes in. Jeremiah and I were both blown away at how warm and generous he was to both of us. He's a pretty good coach too! His team won their conference last week and is playing an important playoff game tomorrow night that Bryce and I hope to attend. Its been awhile since I've seen a women's basketball game but I really had a lot of fun! The team is disciplined and organized and very talented. I think Shaun would have approved of Coach McLaughlin's coaching style as well. They pressed in the beginning to challenge the other team, built a big lead then backed off and coasted the rest of the game. I don't know if coasting is really the right word, they did still win by 34 points! The silent auction and fundraising efforts were also a success!! Thank to all our friends and family who donated, I raised $1000 for the Jimmy V Foundation. In total, the event raised over $5000 for cancer research. I am so proud of our efforts and for a first time out, I think we did a great job! There will be another fundraising event to support the Jimmy V Foundation in October so I hope to help out with that event too! Thanks again to everyone who donated, I know Shaun would be so proud of our efforts.

V Foundation

Its not too late!!

Thank you to everyone who has sent me checks and or items for the silent auction. You really are helping a great foundation. And if you haven't gotten your check in the mail yet, don't worry, there is still time! The event is February 4th so plenty of time for snail mail to do its thing. I apologize for not having an easier online method of donating through me but if you would prefer, you could always donate directly through the Jimmy V foundation website www.jimmyv.org

Thank you all so much for your support!

Fundraising Efforts

As many of you know, my husband, Shaun Thistlethwaite, died in October after a two year battle with colon cancer. But did you know he was a basketball coach? In fact, he took his high school girls team to the elite eight two years in a row and might have had a champion team if we hadn't moved away. Shaun believed in supporting scientific research (whew! considering he married a scientist) but Jimmy V's message also spoke to him. Coach Jimmy Valvano said " Don't give up, don't ever give up." And Shaun truly embraced that sentiment and never gave up despite his battle with cancer.

In 1993, The V Foundation for Cancer Research was established by ESPN and the late NC State basketball coach Jim Valvano. Their mission is to save lives by helping find a cure for all cancers. Since their inception, they have raised more than $90 million for cancer research, 100% of which is awarded to cancer research and related programs. Cancer does not discriminate and if trends continue, it will strike one of every two men and one of every three women in the United States in our lifetime. Therefore, volunteers (including myself) are joining together to create a fundraising event to benefit The V Foundation for Cancer Research. The Never Give Up Fundraiser will be held February 4, 2012, at the Elgin Community College in Elgin, IL. We sincerely request your consideration of support for this event and The V Foundation in Shaun's honor and memory.

The schedule of events is:

12:00pm-4:00pm- Silent Auction

1pm- Elgin Community College Women's Team vs. McHenry County College
3pm- Elgin Community College Men's Team vs. McHenry County College

We are looking forward to a great day of women's and men's basketball and raising funds for a great cause. Please help by donating an item for the auction, a check, or your time to this great cause. All checks can be made payable to "The V Foundation".

Please mail donations to
Melissa Thal
1451 Marcy Ln
Wheeling, IL 60090



Thank you so much for your consideration and support. I know Shaun was proud of the work done by this foundation and eager to support those who never give up.

Best Wishes,
Melissa

The V Foundation for Cancer Research is a tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) organization. Federal Tax ID number 13-3705951
www.jimmyv.org

Christmas Gifts

So this is hilarious....Thank you Nana and Poppa for the awesome piano with the microphone. I think Bryce might have a budding career as a rapper.

Time for giving

Its Christmas time. For most people, their to do lists are lengthy and include a myriad of activities like bake cookies and decorate the tree. As I look at my list of things to do, I too have a lot of the same tasks to accomplish. But the biggest thing on my list is to try to make this Christmas special for Bryce. Of course that goes beyond whats under the Christmas tree. What are the things I want him to learn about this season and what traditions do I want to start. So after a lot of soul searching and too little action, I have a few goals to accomplish before the big day. 1.) I want to keep the mystery and magic of Santa Claus alive as long as I can. We are only young an innocent for so long and I want Bryce to believe in magic and the endless possibilities that come with it. To foster this, we are going to write a letter to Santa Claus. 2.) I want to keep Shaun present in our thoughts and actions. So in addition to a letter to Santa Claus, we are going to write a letter to Bryce's Dad. I'm going to let Bryce dictate what he wants to say to him but I plan on making a copy for Shaun's grave. 3.) I want to foster the idea of giving this time of year (and I guess the rest of the year too). Bryce is probably too young to realize my efforts serve two purposes, to support cancer research and to remember Shaun's fight but over the years I think this will be an important lesson for him. We owe a lot of the 2 years we had with Shaun during his fight to advances in science. We can only hope with more funding and research that someday this horrible disease will be curable. So I've joined forces with a local representative for the Jimmy V foundation for cancer research and plan to be as involved as possible. So look forward to emails from me in to future to support their efforts :)

So for Christmas this year, more than anything, I want to honor Shaun's memory and learn from his example. We will spend a lot of time with family and friends and celebrate the joys that we are lucky to still have in our lives.

The one tradition that Bryce has initiated is dressing up as if its Halloween. So Bryce will be the purple Teletubbie for Christmas (Tinky Winky for anyone who is interested). Of course I will post pictures after Christmas of my purple little munchkin.


http://www.jimmyv.org

And the winner is....

At first, I thought I was going back to work after Shaun died a little too soon. It was hard to focus and even harder to be productive. But all along, I had a deadline that was hanging over my head. Several months prior, I had applied for a Young Investigator Award through the American Heart Association. The application entailed my entire manuscript or write up of my work for the past 2 years but I would ultimately be judged on how I could present that work at a meeting in Orlando and defend my work to my peers. The top 5 applications overall were chosen as finalists to present and defend their work. I was one of them. There have been many finalists from my lab and our research institute in the past, but never a winner. So the pressure was on to be prepared and do well. So I plodded through and little by little chipped away at my presentation. By the week before the conference and my talk, I was much more focused and determined to do the best job I could. Not just the best job considering my situation, but my best job period.
My talk was Sunday night and I was scheduled last of the 5 finalists. So I had to sit and listen to my competition. There was a lot of good work and varying presentation styles but I was growing more and more confident as each of them finished. When it was my turn, the first couple of slides were a little shaky with nerves but they settled down and I got through the talk pretty well. Then my time to shine, the question answer session....The judges were allowed to ask anything about the paper I submitted to them or what I presented and they asked 3 questions, all of which I was well prepared for. In fact, for one of them I had a slide already made up and at the end of my presentation to show them the answer to the question. It showed forethought and preparation and ultimately may have pushed the judges in my favor. Two days later, at a very nice ceremony and reception at Hard Rock Cafe, I was awarded the WINNER.
I know Shaun would have been proud of me for winning but more importantly, he would be happy I was able to persevere and keep moving on with my career and life. I know there will be many bumps in the road but Shaun helped give me the tools I need to handle anything life throws at me.

While in Orlando, I was able to really enjoy my time after my talk. Even though it was where Shaun, Bryce and I had had out last vacation, it wasn't a sad place for me. I love my memories from that vacation and it was nice to have those memories and him close to me while there. I also got to visit with Shaun's Uncle Glenn and Aunt Kathy. They live about an hour from Orlando and were nice enough to drive over to take me out to dinner. I still find it comforting to be with people who loved Shaun as much as I did to share old stories and laugh at old memories. So it was extra special that I got to spend time and stories with people of no blood tie to me, but who made me feel as much like family as their own.

So now I am back home. The award hangs above my desk at work and my memories of a great week permanently etched in my head.

PS
For the readers of the blog, the style might change a little as I write more about me than before. I prefer to write about Bryce but I'll share important things in my life too. Hopefully the posts don't get too sappy ;)

4 weeks

Four weeks ago today, Shaun passed away. Is that a long time or a short one? I don't have an answer, time has been an enigma for me lately. I spend hours staring at my computer screen at work wishing the day to move faster but the more time that goes by, the longer its been since I last saw, touched, kissed Shaun. I guess I'll just have to keep working on living in the moment....take the good with the bad and keep on living. Bryce and I are adjusting to quiet nights by ourselves in our house. Maybe because of all the visitors, Bryce often asks who will be at our house when we arrive. Deep down I think he is asking if his Daddy will be there, or at least I hope so. With fewer and fewer unprompted mentions of Daddy by Bryce, I fear he will forget.

But I don't want this blog update to be terribly depressing, we really are doing fine. Just as Shaun would have wanted, we continue to live, laugh and love. We went trick or treating for Halloween and had a great time. Bryce made a very cute Easter Bunny and liked telling everyone we passed, Happy Halloween! I love how curious he is and has no fear of walking up to strangers to ask them questions. Ok maybe I should be a little worried about the stranger danger stuff, but so far its all been safe. I can tell he will be very logical, just like his dad. He applies my reasoning for certain situations to unrelated events, connecting scenarios and complex stories beyond my wildest imagination. He really is amazing.

I want to conclude this entry with my heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated in Shaun's Celebration of Life. I think some beautiful sentiments about who he was, how he touched people's lives and his amazing spirit were shared. Amy did an amazing job with the slide show and I will treasure the video, always. Thank you to Bill and Sue for planning the event and to everyone who was able to make it. Letters to Bryce are still coming in so I will move the deadline for submissions to closer to Christmas. I think it will be a nice addition to what Shaun left for Bryce to tell the important stories of who his dad was, and how others felt about him.

Celebration of Life

We can't wait to see everyone who is able to come out Saturday to Shaun's Celebration of Life. I hear the turnout will be HUGE and I can't wait to share some good food, funny stories and wonderful memories. For anyone coming from the central time zone, remember it starts at noon EASTERN time, 11 am central.

See you Saturday!!

Thank you

Its almost been one week since Shaun passed yet it feels like a lot longer. This has been one of the longest and hardest weeks of my life. But I am so thankful for all of the friends and family that have supported the Thistlethwaite family, Bryce and myself. Thank you to everyone who sent cards, flowers, facebook messages, thoughts, prayers and even spouses (thanks Jen Straub and Scott Larimore!). We appreciate all of the love and support through this difficult time.

One of the key lessons Shaun teaches in his book is about the importance of picking quality friends. It would be an understatement if I said Shaun had good friends. We are so lucky to have such AMAZING friends. The IU gang took Bryce and me to a pumpkin patch and we genuinely had a great time. I'm sure other people thought it a little strange that there were 9 adults and only 1 kid, but obviously that is one very loved child! I only regret not taking a group photo with everyone. But I love the suggestion of making it an annual event to both catch up and also reminisce about our fun times with Shaun.

I also want to send a heartfelt thank you to Jen Larimore. She kept me sane these past few days and I'm glad she will always be here for me. A trip to Atlanta is obviously in the works and way overdue. Love you!

Information on Shaun's Celebration of Life will be posted once date and time has been arranged. We look forward to seeing so many of Shaun's friends and family at it.

Arrangements

Per Shaun's request, we will be having a small gathering of close friends and family at the graveside for a little ceremony on Friday afternoon, 2pm. More importantly, he wished to celebrate his life and share all the good times we had with him. Everyone who has been touched by his goodness and wants to attend is invited. The arrangements are still being worked out for the Celebration of Life party but will be posted when finalized.
Since we will just have a graveside service and not a full wake and funeral, in lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Bryce's college fund instead. Any memorial gifts will be handled through the funeral home...Thanks...

Lauterburg - Oehler Funeral Home
2000 East Northwest Highway, Arlington Heights, IL 60004 | 847-253-5423

Shaun William Thistlethwaite

It pains me to say Shaun passed this morning. Everything is too raw right now to formulate pretty words to describe him or to honor him properly so I'll leave that for later. Just wanted his friends and family to know.

Brilliant Author, Shaun Thistlethwaite

As many of you might know, Shaun is amazing with words. He is able to speak well and write even better. When I have papers to write for work, I often go to him to help me edit them. Even though he doesn't understand the science, he can always make things sound better (and more grammatically correct). But more than that. He has a way of conveying a message succinctly, with honesty and directness. He doesn't need flowery filler or pointless soliloquies to make his writing good. I bring this up because he wrote a book. Its called Letters to Bryce. I think you can guess what its about. Although Shaun is talented at writing fiction, this is an honest account of what Shaun has been dealing with these past two years since being diagnosed with cancer. It shows the amazing bond he has built with Bryce despite the pain and terrible ordeals he's been challenged with. I think its an amazing gift to Bryce to be able to learn about his dad and have a tangible object that encompasses who his dad is. It includes Shaun's thoughts and philosophies on life and a clear message to Bryce. This is what he believes, but more importantly, Bryce is to think for himself and make his own beliefs and philosophies. Another theme in the book is Shaun's gratitude and love for his friends and family. If you buy the book, you probably will find your name in it somewhere! Even though the book is a personal account of our family and Shaun's inner most thoughts, Shaun would like to make the book public. Therefore, he and his dad published it and made it available to everyone. Whether it be just for friends and family or if other families struggling with cancer find inspiration in it, either way, we are happy to share it. Please check it out.

https://www.createspace.com/3652857

or

www.shaunbooks.webs.com

Everything is fun at the ZOO!

Yesterday the weather was predicted to be beautiful....and it was perfect. So we are so glad we took advantage of it and went to the ZOO! Over the weekend I had made the mistake of telling Bryce we were visiting friends who live by the zoo. By being the key word. Apparently, he only heard visiting and zoo. To make amends and since Shaun was feeling up for it, I took the day off of work and we all went to the zoo, Shaun, Bryce, Nana and me. It was a perfect trip. We got to see fun animals out and about and no one really cared if any were sleeping since it was such a beautiful day. It was just so nice to be outside. Shaun did great with Nana pushing him in the wheel chair (only a few bumps and almost spills). And Bryce loved every minute. I think its one of his favorite places to visit. Makes it extra special that Shaun got to take him there one last time before the weather turns too cold. One of the fun times was when Bryce was being chased by a seal. Actually, I think both the seal and Bryce were probably chasing the cute little girl running along the tank, can you blame him?

Having such a wonderful day as a family is bitter sweet. We don't know how many more special days, hours or fleeting moments we have left as a happy little family. But we will cherish each one as if its our last.

Giraffe Thistlethwaite, Nice ring to it?

Bryce had his 2.5 year check up with the pediatrician. Other than the obvious fact, Bryce is awesome, she confirmed that he is really really tall. He is >99th percentile in height at 40 1/4 inches (~3'4"). My dad read somewhere that if you double a kids height at this age, you get the projected adult height. If thats true, do the math with me, Bryce will be 6'8". So I think the nickname of "Giraffe" will suit him if he chooses to play golf (or any other sport I guess). Other stats, he is 32 pounds (80th percentile) and has advanced verbal skills. I guess the doc wasn't used to carrying on a conversation with a 2 year old and being able to understand every word. His vocabulary is always expanding including, adventure and obstacle course. Oh and if DJ Nurre reads this, he can recognize the show Bar Rescue and asks to stay up and watch it with us. The commercials on that channel are really not appropriate (A Good Old Fashioned Orgy movie promo?)

Bryce is doing really well on the toilet training front. He's had several successes (both kinds) and minimal accidents. Overall, I'm pretty impressed with how quickly he caught on. No more diapers at night and nap time will be the next challenge.

Shaun has had some challenges lately: mainly fluid drainage issues. His legs and feet are really swollen and water pills don't seem to be enough to get rid of it. Poor guy can barely walk because his feet are 5 times their normal size. Thankfully we got a wheel chair from Chris Dunn and an electric chair from the Buckwinklers. Shaun can ride around the neighborhood in style now. I think it will be great for him. He'll be able to get outdoors again and watch Bryce play more. He can go to the library or Walgreens if he wants to. He hasn't been able to drive since being put on a pain pump so this will hopefully help his regain some of that freedom. Shaun's mom has also agreed to stay with us during the week so Shaun can have someone with him during the day to keep him company and take care of anything he needs. Hopefully these measures will make Shaun more comfortable.

The pictures are of Bryce's clay creation he calls his sea monster.

Happy Birthday, Shaun!!

Well, you made it! These last two years have been challenging to say the least. But you made it to another birthday. Statistics say you shouldn't be here, but you are still fighting and I love you so much for your strength. I'm amazed every day at what you are able to endure and how you persevere. Instead of complaining that I hurt you by stabbing you with a needle, you reassure me that I did fine and that it didn't hurt (much). That is what sets you apart from the rest of the world. You care enough about everyone else to protect us from your pain and are strong enough to keep going when others would have given up. You are the source of strength that keeps me going and our family afloat. You continue to amaze me. I know today is pretty bad on the discomfort scale and it sucks to be on chemo on your birthday, but I know you are doing it so you can see next year's celebration. You promised me 82, so by my calculations, you have 48 more celebrations to go. Happy Birthday, Shaun. I love you so much.

Toilet Training Extravaganza!

Adventures in parenthood: toilet training time. Notice I did not call it by its commonly referred to name "potty". Nope, not in our household. We like big people words. No sippy cups, no pacies, no blankies. Basically nothing with an "y" at the end. So our adventure begins.

Online there is a guide to toilet training in 3 days. I thankfully didn't buy it, I just got the gist of the concepts from other people online. In the middle of day 2 and I'm pretty sure its impossible to toilet train a kid in 3 days. That being said, we've made some major headway in this short weekend. Our little runner who runs in circles around the kitchen and living room we now know is peeing during that time. Or at least needs to go really badly. All along we thought it was a funny game but in reality, pee time. I also learned that cleaning poop from non disposable training pants is disgusting. I don't know how all of you use/used cloth diapers. I about threw up earlier today. But Bryce is now telling us before he goes that he needs to sit on the toilet and is going more than a couple drops. This is progress and I'll take it.

As for the reward system...I asked my mom to send me the treats she gives Bryce when he is at her house. I found it rather ironic that she gave me "smartees" and "dum dums". So are the dum dums for when he misses and the smartees for when he has success? I'm kinda glad he prefers the smartees. Or as Bryce says "some-arties!"

Wish us luck and continued success.

Port take II

Sorry I've been so negligent of this blog. I find that when things are going really well, I don't post. If things are going really badly, I don't post. Its during the mediocre lulls of this roller coaster ride we call life that I tend to post most often. Also, if you haven't picked up on the trend, Bryce photos and videos are usually the focus of the blog when things aren't as optimistic with Shaun. But thats not always the case, he's a cute kid, I like to share that no matter what. Anyways, Shaun has had a few set backs and challenges ever since our trip to Disney. He's been in and out of the hospital for bowel obstructions and challenges with pain management. The catch 22 is the bowel obstruction hurts, so he needs pain meds but pain meds can make bowel obstructions worse making the pain worse requiring more pain meds. So after several attempts to let the bowel obstruction clear on its own (hard to do with a tumor squeezing your colon) we decided to take some action. First order of business was to get Shaun's pain under control. He is now on a continuous pain pump and he can give himself additional boluses of pain meds every 6 minutes if he needs it. This has made him A LOT more comfortable. But if created a logistical problem. He has 1 port so he could only have his pain pump or his nutrition (TPN) going at one time. TPN takes 12 hours but there was no way he could go 12 hours without pain meds. So he needed an adjustment. Yesterday, Shaun had his port replaced with a dual lumen port. This just means there are now two lines into his central blood stream. So he can do his nutrition and his pain meds at the same time. The only additional problem is when he wants to do chemo, he needs to use one of those lines, so probably he will go without TPN for those two nights.

The next issue is his bowel obstruction. The last 4 or 5 days have been really rough on Shaun and we don't know if it is solely due to the obstruction or the chemo he got last week. But he's been throwing up every couple of hours. (sorry, tmi I know). Thankfully there is a possible solution. They can put a tiny tube in his stomach that sticks out his skin that will enable the release of the stomach contents without the need of the digestive track. This will allow Shaun to eat again (in small amounts) and hopefully stop the nausea. This past weekend we had social engagements which revolved around food. Do you know how uncomfortable it is to sit at a table with everyone eating and not being able to eat? Not only does it make you hungry and want the food, you feel weird sitting there with strangers and not explaining why you can't eat. At least this is what I would feel. Hopefully, it wasn't too uncomfortable for Shaun (sorry).

So possibly next week Shaun will have this procedure done.

In other news, Bryce is amazing. He is talking a lot and showing off his imagination and creativity. He likes to sound out words and read letters but mostly he is obsessed with the cars from the cars movie (Thank you Angela for provided HOURS and HOURS of self play) and his train set. Sometimes, the cars go on the train set and he combines the two. But basically, Bryce is content to play downstairs endlessly. Beware if you come to visit though, he likes to include visitors in his play. " Papa play a little bit? Nana, play a little bit?" At least he is asking right?