Chemotherapy treatments fight cancer cells. The toxic chemicals help you survive.
They also harm other parts of your body and cause a range of problems.
Dexter's chemotherapy drugs were designed to fight his hepatoblastoma. His specific combination was chosen in order to prevent the hearing loss associated with typical hepatoblastoma chemotherapy drugs. With Dexter's vision impairment, adding a hearing loss was a really heartbreaking concept.
Dexter had six rounds of chemotherapy treatments, over nine months. Some rounds lasted for four days and some rounds lasted for two days.
Being pregnant, Dexter's mum could not touch his body fluids until the toxic chemicals had left his body. That made his nappies, his vomit, his drool and his kisses dangerous.
The chemotherapy drugs destroyed Dexter's immune system. When he was in the NICU, Dexter received his first couple of rounds of immunisations. With each round of immunisation, Dexter stopped breathing after 12 hours. The first time, we had no idea what was wrong. The second time Dexter reacted to his immunisations, we were expecting there would be breathing issues. We were ready, but that didn't make it easier to see him struggling to breathe.
With all of the complications from his immunisations, it was difficult to realise he had suffered through the breathing problems only to need the immunisations a year later.
While Dexter was having chemotherapy treatments, his skin was much more sensitive and sunburn was a problem. We didn't know this until Dexter spent a few minutes in the sun. That night, he was hot and spiked temperatures. We assumed he was becoming sick, which he did after most rounds of chemotherapy. After admitting him to the hospital, we learned that he was sunburned. With everything Dexter was going through, the guilt of letting him become burned was hard to bear.
Each day, he had drugs which were syringed into his mouth. Each day, he chewed on a swab, covered in medication to prevent ulcers.
After each round of chemotherapy, Dexter received an immune booster injection. This was to help him fight off illnesses. Often, these would cause Dexter to break out in painful looking rashes on his face. There was nothing we could do for these.
Several times, Dexter needed transfusions of blood, plasma or platelets.
During Dexter's cancer treatments, we spent a lot of time in hospital. We did get to know the nurses and doctors very well.
With his shaved hair and his central line cords, Dexter looked like a cancer kid.
Dexter's eyebrows and his long eyelashes also thinned out.
Luckily, the eyelashes grew back.
#childhoodcancer
#hepatoblastoma
REMISSION
Happy Cordless Anniversary
Cancer Clear – One Year
Thanks, Mum and Dad
No Egg
End of Chemo – 1 Year Anniversary
Finding Out & Starting Treatment
Cancer in Photos
Dexter’s Hepatoblastoma
Dexter’s Cancer Story
Done!
See the Cancer?
Lizard
My Cancer
Dexter's First Month
Dexter's Vision
Dexter's Cerebral Palsy
Who is Dexter?
to Home page
Find me on: facebook twitter instagram youtube