And... $1760 in Relay Sponsorship!
Thanks everyone!
http://relay.cancercouncil.com.au/2013/kiama_relay_for_life/Love-Dexter
This is what happens when Mum asks Dad to feed me! And... $1760 in Relay Sponsorship! Thanks everyone! http://relay.cancercouncil.com.au/2013/kiama_relay_for_life/Love-Dexter Dexter has not found his words yet. He can't tell us what he wants or what he is thinking, yet... with his words, anyway! As Charlotte becomes more communicative, Dexter seems to be trying to join in! Dexter, does communicate - through actions and facial expressions. We thought we might share some of Dexter's Faces, so you can read his face, too. Dexter's a cheeky, happy kid. There are many photos of him looking happy! When Dexter wants to kiss you, he will turn his head towards your face - and its hard to get away from him... he's determined! He's a loving kid- who is really learning to hold on tight and give nice cuddles now! Dexter is a busy kid - constantly rolling and squirming around... He relies heavily on his hearing, because of his vision impairment. If Dexter hears a noise and he's not sure what it is, or he hears a voice and he's not sure who it is, he will become very still and focus on the noise. Once he's worked the new sound out, he's off and busy again. This is his listening/concentrating face. Concerned Dexter... He really does worry when Charlotte cries. He will hear her cry or make noises in another room, and he will become still and listen to her. If she settles, he'll start playing again. If he is told "Charlotte's ok", he will start playing again. There's nothing Dexter likes more than praise! He loves it when he does something and gets lots of claps. He still thinks that smacks on his nappy-covered bottom is a symbol of praise! When he's proud of himself - often - he will curl up into a "ball". We call it his Echidna Roll. He will grin while he does this. If we are out somewhere and there is applause, Dexter will often pause, show his thinking face (wondering why he is being praised!) and then get back to playing! When Dexter is hungry or thirsty, he pokes his tongue out. He used to poke his tongue out when he wanted more of anything - for example - head massages! Now, he slaps us to tell us he wants more of something which is not food-related! He hurts, too! Did we mention how cheeky he is!?
My hair is getting so long!
Mum likes playing with it in the bath! I'm not sick anymore... Now I like to keep Mum and Dad awake ALL night, because that's play time! I think I'm so grown up... I even know what to do when mum puts me on the toilet! And... $1350 in the Relay for Life! Thanks! xx http://relay.cancercouncil.com.au/2013/kiama_relay_for_life/Love-Dexter It's been three months since Dexter's oncologists said he was 'cleared of cancer'. He just went back for blood tests and CT scans and the results have come back!
Dexter's results are good! And... this last hospital visit... It seemed he just missed his nurse friends and so put himself back in hospital. He had a temperature and was pretty quiet and still, which is not like our little man at all! He was breathing in a panting style, which was a little scary. Lenice actually climbed into the back of the car, to better monitor his breathing. He cried in pain on the trip to Wollongong and cried when getting out of the car - being moved. But, once he was back on the hospital bed, he smiled and started moving around again. Andrew used the last of his sick leave on this hospital trip! Dexter has had so many blood tests and his little veins are pretty ruined, so getting blood is not always easy. Having cannulas put into his hands can be very difficult. A few people tried several times, but none of them were successful. Dexter hated this - it hurt him a lot. He scratched Lenice's neck and broke her necklace in his attempt to get through the pain. Our little man's hands are scarred from all the cannulas he's already had in. No diagnosis was given, no antibiotics were given, no pain relief was given and Dexter was able to bring the temperature down himself, which is great. The trickiest thing is knowing whether Dexter is allowed panadol, or not. He was never given panadol during his chemotherapy treatments, in case the panadol masked an infection. Thankfully, Dr K said Dexter can be given one dose of panadol now. If that does not help him, it's back to hospital for him. Dexter did enjoy seeing his nurses again! Cheeky Man! It was nice seeing him smiling and rolling around again today! (He's been asleep for two hours... but I just heard that he has woken and thinks its time to get up again! Cheeky!) We've got $1250 in Relay for Life sponsorship!! Thanks everyone!! http://relay.cancercouncil.com.au/2013/kiama_relay_for_life/Love-Dexter Look where I slept last night! Now that I'm getting bigger and my hair is long, I don't look like a sick cancer kid anymore.
I'm getting lots of looks from people when we go out. Maybe they're looking at me spitting - which I think is fun, but Mum tells me I shouldn't do it. Maybe they're looking at my special pram and how it supports me. Maybe they're looking at my eyes and noticing my vision impairment. Maybe they are noticing that I am not speaking. Maybe they are looking at my eyelashes. Whatever it is, most people in a crowd will notice me and many of them will simply stare at me as they pass by. Sometimes mum quietly laughs at them when they stare, but sometimes, she gets upset. Pity is the worst thing you can give to Mums and Dads of kids like me. How could you pity my Mum and Dad when they are lucky enough to have me to love? People shouldn't pity my family. It would be nicer if they smiled. Maybe they could say hello. But, no more pity! So now I have a sign to help them try and understand. Today, it seemed like a few less people stared at me. It was much nicer. (A lady handing out balloons cried out when she saw me! She was so amazed by my long eyelashes! She said they were even longer than they first looked, because she noticed I have Dad's orange hair colour at the tips of my lashes. She was so absorbed in my lashes that she forgot to hand out balloons!) In a month, I'll be pushed around a track. I'll most likely be surrounded by people in funny clothes, wearing weird wigs and crazy shoes. There'll be music and fun activities, signs and funny antics. In a month, I'm going to be in the Relay for Life. Hopefully, I will be able to be at the relay for the whole 24 hours! Mum and Dad said I can sleep in a tent with Charlotte! My team are thinking of their team costume and are listing some crazy ways they could do laps. Can you imagine Mum and Dad doing a lap of cartwheels!? Last night, I went to a meeting for the Relay. I met some of the other Relay people. Most of them knew me. It was very strange. People wanted to come over and meet me, because they had heard my story. My family sometimes forget how incredible my story is... they sometimes forget how amazing my journey has been. They don't realise how many people know about me, follow my story and love me because of what I've been through. So, Relay for Life... Mum, Dad, Charlotte and I have already walked a Survivors' Lap in another relay. It was a very emotional time... I think it brings back all of the memories and the emotions we try to keep buried. We'll be walking in the Survivors' Lap at our Relay. I have taken some information from the Relay For Life website, which has lots of information. In NSW around 40 000 people take part in Relay For Life - each year! The event is not just about the amazing experience of spending the weekend with people from your local community. It's also about the fun ways your team can raise money in the lead up to the day. Relays are truly amazing occasions where tears are shed, hopes are raised, fun is had and friendships are forged. Some people do it in memory of a loved who has passed away from cancer. Some people do it to show how proud they are at having survived cancer. Some use it to show they are strong enough to beat cancer. And some just want to be involved and make a difference. We'll join the Candlelight Ceremony of HOPE at dusk. This is a time to remember everyone we have lost to cancer. The candles are put into paper bags, covered with messages of love and remembrance. We have a few candles that will be burning. If you'd like Team Love Dexter to make a sign and walk a lap in honour of someone you love, who is fighting cancer, or in honour of someone you loved and lost from cancer, let us know. We will make a sign, walk a lap and take a photo for you. (Maybe you could donate $5 to my team.) Then, there's a midnight Undies Race! You have to wear undies in this one! I hope Mum lets me stay up so I can watch this one. We don't yet know who is going to be entering this race for our team! Relay For Life’s journey began in May 1985 when a US surgeon, Dr. Gordy Klatt, wanted to boost the income of his local American Cancer Society office to support all of his cancer patients. He spent 24 hours circling a track in Washington and raised over $27,000 to fight cancer. Since then, Relay For Life has become the largest fundraising event for cancer in the world. Celebrated in over 600 communities across 21 counties this inspirational overnight event empowers and unites local communities in the battle against cancer. To sponsor my team in the Relay for Life, go to this page and follow the links. Leave a short message, too. We'll be sure to email you a thank you! Team Love Dexter - http://relay.cancercouncil.com.au/2013/kiama_relay_for_life/Love-Dexter Relay Website Links: http://relay.cancercouncil.com.au/about/ http://relay.cancercouncil.com.au/about/4 These balloons were carried by Survivors
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