1/1/10 Day 50.(Approx. 1000 days to go, give or take) Happy New Year.

Happy New Year.............
With the new diagnosis in hand, we are ready to take on the New Year. We know that everything is better and brighter than before but it would be helpful if we had a ceremony, maybe with a framed certificate thrown in to make us believe it. The original discussions with Dr Waters were like being hit with a sledgehammer as we tried our hardest to believe in the positives. Now we can see light, all we need is the 3 years of treatment to go by as quickly as possible. It doesn't seem that long ago that we were in a hospital with walls decorated in get well cards or we had nurses dressed in protective smocks, gloves, face masks and eye protection, administering medication into Owen as he lay in his bed at home. The stark contrast of a child laying on beautiful sheets printed with diggers and dumptrucks, a nurse in safety apparel and the sounds of children playing outside. It seems a lifetime away, yet was only 4 weeks ago.
As I talk positively, I think of all the other children that received the same "positive" result of the better form of leaukemia who are still battling 3, 4, 5 years on. Owen still has a lot of work to do and we need a bit of luck on our side as well.

Health.
O is bouncing along, and we take each day as it comes. We could not be happier but the changes are significant. In the morning, pre-leukeamia, he would never sleep in, would be dressed, fed and out the door or up to some large project within the house before anyone was fully awake. He was always busy, bus, busy, building something, rearranging, modifying, drawing, mostly without consent, or warning.. Now, he sleeps in and knows that he is tired. He is still active, but subdued. Lego and cars are now his favourite pastime. His day is slower than it normally would be, but there is little frustration, which makes it easier.

Outlook.
With his treatment changing over to outpatient, with most of his medication taken orally, and a weekly visit to the hospital, there is a good chance that he will be able to go back to school.... Dr Waters wants Owen to lead as normal a life as possible. So we will watch his health and see what he can do this year. The possibility of going back to school is the greatest news that Owen had heard for a long time. He was absolutely stoked....
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At least O has a beautiful shaped head, unlike his Dad and Joel.