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Dempsey's journey with leukemia began on April 3, 2016 and continued to January 24, 2019. The following posts are copied from the original blog I, Coral, created and kept. I hope these posts serve you in the best ways.
We ares till waiting for more test results to come in. It seems like that is the name of the game right now- draw blood, run tests, draw blood, run tests.
His body received the transfusion really well. Praise God. He has had LOTS of good sleep. Praise God. We have been meeting his "team" continuously... there are A LOT of them. Welcome to a wonderful teaching hospital. Dempsey will end up having tubes put in his ears to alleviate the infection in his ear to hopefully stop it from advancing to mastoiditis (what we thought we were ruling out at ER). The procedure was originally going to happen about now (1:30pm) but has been pushed back to tomorrow in order to give his body time to fill up on transfusion goodness and start normalizing. Pushing back his tube procedure also pushes back his bone marrow biopsy and his spinal tap. I am all for giving his little body time to adapt before such invasive procedures. Praise God that they knock children his size out for those things!! Jake just reported that Dempsey is in good spirits. He's been eating grapes, drinking water, and munching on a NeoLife Bar- choc/ PB are his fave. He's had good elimination levels too- which CHOC docs tell you they're obsessed about. Jake also informed me that the meeting with the attending physician/ oncologist went well. No further earth-shattering news: some form of leukemia, specifics unknown due to needing test results; high likelihood of cure. Dempsey is in very stable condition so the docs don't want to rush into aggressive treatment. It seems chemo will start later this week as well. All invasive procedures being pushed back to allow his body more time to get blood levels up. Dempsey received his first round of transfusion starting at 5:15am. So far, everything looks good- meaning he seems to be accepting the donor's givings.
It took two painful tries to get his transfusion line in. I got to snuggle with him while they poked him. He was (is) so brave!! No child should have to be this brave. No one should have to experience this. Thank you, Lord, that Dempsey is resting now and that he is not awakened by the constant attention, beeping, and shuffling of IVs.
Lord, this mama is EXHAUSTED. I don't know why you have us on this journey but I plead for rest. It is so hard to have my baby constantly being prodded... even by the best of staff.
 We don't have an exact name for it yet but it will be one that just clarifies which cancer our baby has. I keep hoping I will wake up from this nightmare... but, alas, God has us here for a reason- for His glory. I don't understand. I'm not called to. I'm called to trust and obey. So, please pray for our family, ESPECIALLY DEMPSEY.
Pray for: •healing •no pain •rest •faith •hope •deep love •wisdom •discernment •gifted hospital staff •that we will be able to glorify God through all of this mess •anything else you can think of! I am so scared, family & friends! Family and Friends...
Jake and I are working to create a list of practical/ tangible ways you can help, those that want to. We don't have anything right now as we are still navigating what "normal life" with CHOC in it looks like. Please know that we are GRATEFUL for all your prayers, love, support, well wishes, thoughts, texts, emails, etc. We value each of you... even if we don't know you. We know that God has designed Dempsey to walk this path of leukemia. We don't know why. We're not supposed to know why. We are called to trust and walk by faith. Please continue your prayers for Dempsey and our family as our world has been turned upside down. Thank you, Coral and Jake Kenagy Good Friday, I picked Dempsey up from preschool. He was happy. Before we got home he was crying because of ear pain.
I called and got a same day appointment with his pediatrician. He was given a prescription for amoxicilin to address and ear infection. One week later the fevers had not stopped, the ear pain hadn't diminished, he was not improving. March 31st I took him back to his pediatrician because we needed a stronger antibiotic. We were given a prescription for Cefdinir. Gave him his first dose that night. A slight rash on his stomach Friday morning. Didn't think much of it. Gave him a second dose Friday night. Saturday the rash was over 3/4 of his body. Discontinued Cefdinir on recommendation of after hours nurse. Sunday (today) decided to go to urgent care for a different antibiotic. Due to the swelling of Dempsey's left part of his neck, we were sent to the ER for a CT scan to rule out mastoiditis. The ER ran MANY blood tests and the pediatric doctor here did a thorough (and painful) check of Dempsey's lymph nodes- which were all swollen. Hours and hours of medical attention and waiting... Some tests started coming back. Not good news. They showed his platelet hemoglobin levels are dangerously low. So, now we need a specialist. It looks like CHOC is where we will be going. My baby needs a transfusion. I cannot even believe this is his reality right now. :-( The spectrum of possible causes for his current condition is vast. It ranges from a strong virus to a number of cancers. Trying so hard not to worry but it's hard! My baby is very sick. It is awful for Jake and I to sit here and watching our baby look so pitiful and on the potential brink of greater illness. We've been told he will probably need a bone marrow biopsy and a lymph node biopsy from near his left tonsil. Please pray for our baby!! Humans are so limited in understanding and ability but God is not!! It is our hope to be real, honest, and glorify God through all of this. Just got word from CHOC. Looks like 30 mins thereabouts until we start transport to CHOC. Keep praying.
One of us will ride along with Demps, the other will drive the van. Pray for safety. My heart cannot take more stress. May the Lord be glorified in every aspect of this awful journey. |
