We begin the next stages of chemo.

I have spoken to our oncology nurse that takes care of all the oncology kids who are outpatients. She has contacted Seth's oncologist on our behalf and has found out some answers for me. Seth will begin his next stage of chemo on Monday. They would be making the same decision whether he was in remission or not in remission. The small amount of cells they did collect from the marrow, although still too small to give us a definite all clear, shows no signs of Leukaemia. Phew...
The nurse (Daphne) met me at Campbelltown Hospital today to introduce us to the Pac's team there. They are some wonderful nurses and I am just so relieved to be able to get some of the treatments there rather than have the big commute to Westmead all the time.
Campbelltown Hospital has liased with Westmead and have all of Seth's information now, so we are able to get blood counts, blood transfusions and some of the more minor chemo's at Campbelltown. If Seth get's a temperature, we are now able to take him to Campbelltown where they can begin treatment within the hour (which is important), rather than us getting him to Westmead which takes longer than an hour to get to. If he requires more treatment, they will then transport him to Westmead from there.
This is a huge relief and a big help as his next stage of chemo is a 4 day treatment. We begin Monday at Westmead for a 6 hour drip which Campbelltown aren't authorised to give him, Tuesday they send a nurse to our house, Wednesday and Thursday, I take him to Campbelltown for them to give the chemo. Then we start all over again the following Monday along with a Lumbar Puncture. This treatment goes for 4 weeks. Then we will be getting close to day 79 and we will be getting his prognosis.
Seth went to school for the first time today for 1 and a half hours. The nurses had been out to educate the teachers and his class and I got a call on Thursday advising me it was now time to send him back to school. We had tears in the morning as he was worried about how different he looked and about the kids in the playground being rough with him. So, we made a deal, I stayed in the car with him till the bell rang, then I walked him to his class once everyone was out of the playground. He came out of school loving it and wanted to go back tomorrow. I had to disappoint him with the news that it was Saturday tomorrow. It is a bit scary sending him out with all the germs that float around schools, but they reckon it is the right thing to do. I just hope it does him more good than harm. So, I will hold my breath again and hope he doesn't pick up anything harmful. We are to take it a day at a time and if he is feeling well, we send him for a couple of hours so he keeps contact with his class and keeps up with his school work.
We will keep you posted as to how we go with Monday's treatment. These particular chemo's have a tendency to induce a fever, so fingers crossed he comes through them okay.