We had our first scare in a while, but Ty is okay

I didn't post yesterday because Ty got sick at night.  Now that he is feeling better, I am convinced it was something he ate, but at the time I couldn't be sure and it was very frightening.  After an evening of over indulgence in chocolates, yogurt smoothies and other treats, he started complaining of a tummy ache.  Totally normal, I wasn't concerned, but I felt bad that he had painful cramps.  The scary part came when he developed a severe headache soon after.  It was bad and I ended up giving him morphine for the first time in weeks upon weeks.  He fell asleep early, woke up for a couple of hours in the middle of the night (and he seemed fine), but after he woke again in the morning he started getting sick and throwing up again.  It was so scary, I thought I was going to have to take him in for a scan.  Luckily, Ty felt better as the day went on and he was completely back to normal by the afternoon.  Of course I spoke to his nurse and we hashed out the various things that could be causing his sickness, from the best to the worst-case scenarios, and since his head pain was isolated and didn't persist she felt he was fine and that the pain was probably caused by pressure building after so much abdominal discomfort.  I pray so hard that is all it is.

I just want to take a minute to explain where Ty is at with his diagnosis because I've had some questions lately.  Right now, Ty's disease most likely still exists, but it is microscopic.  In his most recent scans, no tumors are visible for the first time ever, and without a tumor burden wreaking havoc on various parts of his brain Ty was finally able to bounce back physically.  He was also weened from tons of meds, which helps him to feel so normal!  However, since Ty's cancer metastasized in May (meaning it spread), we are told that it is only a matter of time before his cancer reappears and it will, ultimately, result in him succumbing to his disease.  To that I say "Not necessarily!"  I look at him and I think... maybe he will just continue to improve and be that amazing miracle.  Maybe when his cancer spread, it only seeded itself in two places and those two tumors were removed completely in June and successfully radiated?  You never know, and it is possible.  It happens.  Period.  People have and do survive Stage 4 cancer and I will never lose hope for Ty.

So, the plan is to continue chemotherapy.  Chemo is a systemic treatment (meaning it attacks the entire body, head to toe) which is most important when treating metastatic disease because it is no longer a focal area and we can't anticipate if/where it may appear next.  But we are always open to alternative therapies.  In fact, we are currently in the very early stages of pursuing brain tumor vaccine options thanks to a great friend who has done so much to keep us informed of the newest, most successful experimental medications and we will keep you posted on our progress in that pursuit. Even if we can't get approvals or such treatments, or if Ty is not a candidate this time, we will never stop searching. 

I'm sitting here watching some crazy show called Toddlers and Tiaras and it is so incredibly ridiculous I keep getting distracted.  Is this for real?  I wanted to crack up laughing when one of the moms, after torturing her four-year old daughter through hours of hair and makeup, complained about how stressful it was to be a pageant mom.  Yeah, I guess hearing your baby cry when she is being forced to wear uncomfortable clothes and when she doesn't sit still to have her hair extensions put in it can be stressful.  Geez.  C'mon.  Get some perspective on what is important.  Do these moms get some kind of weird self-fulfillment if their daughter is decided to have the best fake tan, the best fake smile, the best makeup and the best fake hair?  Do they really believe that makes her the prettiest of them all?  And why do they care?  The most beautiful girls in the world to me have no hair at all. All children are so beautiful, why should they have to be told so in a competition?  I am so sorry to go off on such a tangent, but this whole thing is striking a cord with me because my world is just so incredibly different, I guess.

Anyway, tomorrow is Ty's one year anniversary of the day he was diagnosed.  I am working on a "Year in Review" video for you all, but it may not be finished until the weekend.  I don't want to rush it.  Lou and I are going to take Ty out on another "date" at the nicest restaurant in town to celebrate.  What a year it has been.  What more can I say.  Pictures soon!  XOXO.  Thank you.