Keeping in touch

We haven't forgotten about the blog. Given the number of people still checking each day, neither have you. So a few comments.

Given our never-boring life, we always brought in the family and friend events that added smiles to our day. Today was the latest report on future grandchild - a great report and a graphic sonogram of the little one due in November. Meanwhile, Westbrook is growing and thriving and still incredibly cute.

We had hoped to have a bit of news on closing up one loose end - the results of the biopsy that will tell us exactly why Drew's brainstem stopped working. We don't really need to know, and we don't expect to be surprised, and we will have no regrets regardless of the answer, since at least one smart doctor supports each of the theories the biopsy is meant to confirm.

We will have no regrets if it was the cancer returning (could any cancer survive all the chemo and radiation and the transplant and hospital food?) since there was nothing else left to try. We will have no regrets if it was a stroke (nasty luck, but clots are always a risk of medical procedures, and daily life) so we could only shake our heads. We will have no regrets if it was infection (the primary risk to the transplant - the only chance he had left) since everyone looked at his IV pole and marvelled at how any infection could ever survive that many antibiotics. We still want to know, but .....well, just to know. And maybe knowing will put one more bit of learning in the books for future patients.

Meanwhile, we continue to be overwhelmed by support. We continue to catch up with folks just getting the news, and folks who have finally gotten the nerve to write us with stories and kind words. We have gotten some real laughs and real cries out of some long notes and stories. His first girlfriend, in the fifth grade, maintained that Drew was a gentleman despite the fact that she wouldn't let him kiss her. His football coach from Hyde touched us with his views of Drew learning football (even learning to put on the pads) and promises to use his story in inspiring the team this year. We are far from alone as parents losing a child, and many others have shared their stories and given encouragement. We continue to hear from strangers who knew us only from the blog but act like family members in their concern and interest. And we even got dinner last night from friends who are aware that the pain doesn't go away quickly.

And, by the way, the pain doesn't go away quickly.