Hello again! Right after I hit post on yesterday's update, due to the medications he had been given to make him sleepy while they placed his feeding tube, Mason's heart rate started acting up a bit. They placed him on a continual monitor so they could watch him closely, but also told me that it was to be expected after the mix of medicines he had taken. They did an echo-cardiogram and an EKG today- they continue to keep a close eye on him to make sure everything remains okay.

Mason woke up around 6 p.m. yesterday and was HUNGRY. He ate three bowls of spaghetti, plus several of the snacks his friend delivered. He had enough energy to roll his eyes and heavy sigh his way through Mom getting him cleaned up, into fresh clothes and bedding and through his nightly mouth care routine. We have been binge watching Ninjago- he had a very content evening.

In the overnight hours, unfortunately, his feeding tube once again got blocked. It was another somewhat busy overnight with the nurses doing everything they could to make the tube function again.

Even with the overnight activity, I think he got more sleep, as he was awake and ready to roll by 7 a.m. today. He managed Frosted Flakes, whole milk and another Starbucks hot chocolate for breakfast. He managed to snack on spicy Doritos, ice pops and drank 2 Primes and one Body Armour drink throughout the day today. He also just finished off a burrito from Moe's. His appetite seems to be doing okay- hopefully due to the fact that we have finally found a mixture/dosage of medicines to keep the nausea under control.

The doctors came by mid-day, and we had a lot of information to discuss.

Due to the ongoing issues with his feeding "NG" tube, they are going to remove the one that is currently in place (and blocked) tomorrow morning. He is currently receiving platelets, and will receive several more transfusions before tomorrow, when they will bring him down to a procedure room to replace the NG tube with a different feeding tube option- the "NJ" tube. It functions essentially the same, but bypasses the stomach and will hopefully cut down on some of the nausea that the NG tube is causing.

We discussed the results of Mason's bone marrow aspiration/biopsy last week and the next step for treatment. As we were told last week, the aspiration shows that Mason still has 25-30% leukemia present in the marrow.

We begin round two of chemotherapy today. This round will include a new medicine that has to be taken in pill form, taken daily over a 4-week period. Mason will be watched closely for any potential side effects. One common side effect includes dry, itchy, red eyes, so he will begin on steroid eye drops today to try to get ahead of that symptom. He is still recovering from the blood vessel/red spot in his vision, so we will monitor closely for any further changes. His glasses arrived today, so I hope to pick them up when I get home this week so he can start using them and taking pressure off his left eye by the end of the week.

This round of treatment also includes a high dose of a medicine that was used within round one (the dosage in round one was the typical starting point used), which will be administered every 12 hours for a total of 4 days (so 8 total doses), beginning this Wednesday, 7/3. We know that Mason reacted to this medicine with his whole body rash during the last round, so we will be on the lookout for that reaction again. He will feel achy and flu-like during the days he receives this medication. We really hope the cocktail of anti-nausea meds that we have landed on will be strong enough to hold off that effect as much as possible moving forward.

The doctor indicated that if Mason's blood counts react in the way that they would expect, there could be a potential time frame where we might be able to bring Mason home for a short break following this round of treatment in approximately five weeks. While we are taking this whole journey one step at a time, we can keep this glimmer of hope in the future.

And speaking of the future- while we are not yet in a place to dig into the details regarding the transplant process, we did receive some VERY positive news today regarding potential donor matching, so without giving out specifics, I would ask that you keep some general prayers going regarding the transplant process as the medical team continues to perform the tests needed to determine our path in that area.

Overall- we have had a few really good, quiet days. Mason is feeling a little stronger, getting out of the room with his brother on Saturday and having a visitor yesterday. His nausea is under better control than it has been. His appetite is back- maybe not to "normal" yet- but it's getting there. He has gotten some solid rest.

As we start this next round of treatment today, specific prayer requests would include minimal side effects during this next round of treatment, prayers for the medical team to know the best way to manage any side effects that he does have, and continued strength to face each day as it comes for Mason and the rest of us watching him fight through this. It is not easy and he continues