Steadman Family

    Week three of radiation seems to be going a lot smoother. We are starting to get a feel for the best way to manage ourselves and the kids.  I’ve noticed that Ben seems to have more energy when he has a small mid-morning nap and when he eats small meals through out the day.  The antibiotics have really helped his Bronchitis, and his BMs are becoming more regular. Both of which have contributed to his feeling better. However, the treatments are really zapping his energy, making it increasingly difficult to plan on any activity requiring a lot of walking. It has been suggested to us to get Ben a stroller for those times when he’s just too tired.  We like this idea, but are unsure as to how much we would actually use one. Therefore, we would like to ask everyone to keep their eyes out for a gently used stroller that can carry at least 50lbs (jogging strollers seem to carry more weight). Better yet would be anyone that might have a stroller we could borrow for a short time to help us get a feel for its usage.

    Dean and I also managed to see a therapist on Monday. She was awesome and we both felt a lot of relief to finally have someone there to help guide us through this toughest of ordeals.

    We were contacted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation today. They called to let us know that Ben has been given a wish to make of his very own. The only problem seems to be that when asked what wish he’d like to make, Ben’s response is that he doesn’t want a wish and refuses to make one (sigh).  Maybe the wish grantors will have more success at getting an answer from him than we do. Then again, when Ben wants to be stubborn about something, rarely does he change his mind, especially with strangers.

    Friday will be a potentially big day for us. We meet with Dr. Gore, the Clinical Coordinator for Children’s Hospital. She will fill us in on all the clinical trials currently running that might be a consideration for us after the radiation treatments are done. We’ll keep you posted on what any of those options might be.

I’m so tired I can barely see straight, so that’s it for now. Please continue to pray for Ben’s recovery and keep those posts coming! They are soooo comforting to read. It really helps us remember how lucky we are to have such a wonderful network of family and friends.  We love you all!!!!!!

Peace,

Melinda

I also wanted to let you know how Madie is doing. She is such an amazing little girl! She continues to delight and engage us (including her brother).  Please say a little prayer for her as well, since she has a tremendously difficult road ahead of her.