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By Madison Hill
For the Herald

This has been a busy week! I want to first say thank you to all those that helped us celebrate Landon's birthday by donating blood. It was actually a very fitting celebration as the very next day at his recheck appointment he need a transfusion of blood as well as platelets. This was his tenth blood transfusion and seventh platelet transfusion. Please if you are able donate blood products!!
The transfusions made for a VERY long day as before his recheck appointment he also have to have his hearing retested. Good news there though, no noticeable change to his hearing!! Though I still have yes toons on his selective hearing.... We had to have his hearing checked as one of the chemotherapy drugs can cause hearing loss. So far so good.
As far as his blood levels the doctor was actually shocked at how well he was acting and eating since his levels were SO low. He definitely perked up some after though and has been running around like a crazy man!! And boy does that boy love hot dogs!
We are prepping for another busy week next week as we are doing lots of last minute tests before we have our consult in Seattle (excited and terrified for this). Before we go we have to repeat Landon's MIBG scan, CT, bone marrow aspirates, dental exam, echocardiogram, and the list gets longer. We hope to be in Seattle for our consult then that next week where they will decide if we will proceed with the stem cell transplant or if he need additional therapy prior. Let's just say I am already making myself sick with anxiety.
Landon is so incredible though, he just astounds me every day. I know that he hates how much we have to mess with him but for most of it he just lets us do what we need to do. I know it's in his best interest but it so hard on a mom and dad that their son is now used to having a tube taken of and in and in and out of his stomach as well as having a tube in his chest with huge stickers covering it that has to be changed every week (and just think of pulling a bandaid off!). Even when we have to give him injections he is such a trooper and just gets mad that I picked the wrong bandaid.
All of the books and childlife people say to continue to treat your child like a normal child but Landon is not normal, he is extraordinary! He is the light of our lives and he will beat this awful beast called cancer.