One Year Cancer Free!

 Scan Day. A day I look forward to and dread at the same time every 3-4 months. Last December Magnus had his scan that would determine if he would be one year cancer free. I had such a great feeling about it and knew that they wouldn't find anything. And I was right! He was officially deemed one year cancer free!

We usually go up to Primary Children's super early because Magnus has to fast for sedation. We get his scans done, and then after he wakes up he eats breakfast and we go to the cancer clinic for a check-up with M's oncologist. This time was a little different because I scheduled late and it was the end of the year. Everyone is trying to get in because their deductibles are met and they want to do it before the new year. We were no exception and we couldn't get it to work the way we usually do. We had to go out to Riverton for his scan and they didn't have anything available until 12:30! That meant Mag would have to fast for 18 hours. I told them that I knew he really only had to fast for 6 hours and that I would wake him at 6 to feed him a simple breakfast. Sedation agreed, so that's what I did. He had toast and eggs at 6 AM and finished by 6:30. He could have clear liquids until 10 and he had a big drink of water right before that. Luckily he didn't complain once about being hungry and did such a great job.  Besides the fact that we had to go to Riverton for his scan, that also meant we would have to go up to Primary's another day to see his oncologist as well as get his yearly hearing test done.

We arrived for his scan and they took awhile to get set-up. He colored and played with some toys and finally they came to give him his IV. He hates this part, but he is getting so brave and knows that it just hurts for a second. He was so good. I cannot believe how much he has grown up and how reasonable he is these days! He is such a good boy.

He picked this blue bear from the prize box after getting his IV and then we headed into the scan room.

Mag is getting to the point where he is more curious and while he knows that he had cancer, I'm sure he doesn't really know what that means and entails. As he has gotten older we have had to explain more and more to him. He is usually totally out by the time we go into the MRI room, so he has never even seen the machine. But this time they let him go in and touch it and look at it and explained everything that it does. 

 After his curiosity was sufficed he hopped up on his bed, got a warm blanket, and was dosed with sleepy meds.

 Going in. His scan usually is just of his brain but once a year they do brain and spine. While it isn't likely that his cancer will spread to his spine, it is possible, so they check once in awhile.

It takes a lot longer to do both brain and spine, so I went and got some lunch and then came back and waited in recovery for them to bring him in. He was sooo sleepy and he had wet his pants while in the machine. I need to remember to bring a pull-up, I always forget. This isn't the first time he's had an accident. While i was trying to help him wake up the radiologist came in and told me that his scans looked terrific and that there was no sign of recurrent cancer anywhere. Woo-hoo! I knew it! Happy Day.

 I finally got Mag semi-awake and he had some chips and root-beer. I carried him to the car and we went home to celebrate the good news.

 A few days later we had to go up to Primary's for M's hearing test.

 He did a terrific job and passed with flying colors. There is no sign that the radiation did any damage to his hearing. 

We went and ate breakfast in the cafeteria afterwards. Magnus loves his maple donuts and chocolate milk there.

We headed up to the cancer clinic to see M's oncologist, Dr. Bruggers, and they gave him a Christmas stocking with all sorts of fun games and prizes inside. He was so happy!

It was great to see all of the amazing caretakers that we have come to know and love at the clinic. Dr. Bruggers looked over the notes from the radiologist, talked to Magnus for awhile, examined him, and told me that she was so proud of how far he has come. So am I. 

Hooray for being cancer free!