Hoppy Easter

Happy Easter day to everybody! I know its been a little bit since our last post and quite a lot has gone on. Where to start….. the exciting news is that this last week Tucker has attended school! Can you believe it? We talked to the doc’s about the possibility of him going back to school and they said it’s a great idea just as long as 1)his blood counts are good (and they were) and 2)Tucker feels ok with it- not just physically but mentally ok with it. The doctors expressed there concern over Tucker being treated different because he looks different, but let me tell you…… school was the best thing for Tucker. I was a nervous nelly on this last Wednesday because Tucker wanted to go SO BAD so I said- ok dude, here’s the deal I’m going to go and attend school with you and we are only going to stay about 1 ½ hours but I’ll be in class with you the whole time so if we need to leave earlier then we can. I was anxious because I didn’t want him to throw up in class, or have him hurting in class- but I had a plan. On Wednesday morning I got up at 6am and I went into Tuckers room & I poked him just enough for him to wake up and take a pain pill & anti-nauseating pill…. Then he went back to sleep for an hour. Then at 7am I woke him up again to take his normal pills. Now normally when his “normal pills” kick in its when his tummy starts to hurt and the nausea kicks in. So I figured if I got him up at 7, take the pills, give him an hour to get “sick” and get over it…. That would put us at 8am, and I was taking him to school at 9am. It worked like a CHARM!!!!! By 8:30am Tucker was up and good and not sick & ate & feeling good and ready to GO! School starts at 8:30 but his teacher and I both agreed that its better to bring him after all the kids are in there class and then she can prepair her kids for Tucker. When we walked in…. we by lucky chance just happen to meet up with his class in the hall way, but since they were in the hall way they all had to be quite. Can’t you picture 20 kids, in a line… TRYING to be quite- but just overjoyed that Tucker just walked in?! it was funny, they all looked like they had ants-in-there-pants standing there waving and waving… just itching to talk. It was funny. So we walked with the class out to room (they are in portables) and when we all got in the room they just let it all out… “HI TUCKER” came from every corner of the room as well as “I’M SO GLAD YOU’RE HERE! WE HAVE MISSED YOU TUCKER”… it was just AWESOME. Mrs. Shipman got the kids settled down in no time and I sat back in a chair just watching how this whole thing was going to unfold. Tucker & Jaron sat together, but “away” from the rest of the kids- oh and yes Tucker had to wear his big mask that was another deal I made with him…. You can go but the mask stays on unless the class is gone for lunch or recess- if the room is empty then you can take it off. So back to class- Mrs. Shipman got them all settled down and just got started on her day. Now let me tell you the moment that really choked me up…. They all stood and said the Pledge of Allegiance…. Wow, its something I haven’t seen or had to do for so long… then to see Tucker standing and reciting the pledge with his hand over his heart- it was so normal… he was, well its just hard to describe, but I sure had a hard time not crying. I just want this “normal” for him so bad, and here it was unfolding in front of me- I wanted Tucker to be “pre-sick-Tucker”…. And here he was acting like nothing had changed. It was just, one of those moments I’ll never forget. After the pledge Mrs. Shipman tried really hard to get the class to work on some spelling or something like that…. But they were all fidgeting and whispering (not the norm in her class)- so this teacher being completely IN-TUNE with her class stood up and said- Ok, this isn’t going to work- everybody wants to talk to Tucker & I’m sure you all have a million questions- so everybody stop what your doing and lets talk to Tucker.

Have I mentioned that she is the best teacher ever????

I just kinda chuckled, and all the kids were so excited- so I had Tucker come and sit next to me so I could help answer questions and Mrs. Shipman said “ok, if you have a question for Tucker raise your hand and ask him.” This was SO fun. These are “kid questions” from the 4th grade- they ranged from “How are you feeling?” to “what do you hate the most?” and “how come you can come to class now but you couldn't before (who’s ever kid that was, was a seriously in tune smart kid)… and my favorite question was “what food do you get to eat up at the hospital?” LOL. So after the kids got all of there questions out of there system she got them all settled back to work- but it just happen to be pirate week in class so the next “activity” was Paint your Pirate.

We only stayed for 1 ½ hours, and that was perfect. Tucker was tired. After he was done painting his pirate we left. Tucker did great but he slept the rest of the day when he got home. So that day went so good that I gave him the option of returning the next day to school and staying a little longer if he would like but this time I wouldn't attend with him. I would drop him off and I have arranged with another kid in Tucker’s class, mom, to pick Tucker up at 1 or whenever Tucker says “I’m done”- which ever came first. So I followed the whole “plan” that I mapped out earlier with the pills and such & I packed him a lunch and sent him off to school! He attended Wednesday, Thursday & Friday!!!!!! He didn’t go for a full day, we are not to that point yet… but I think we may get there yet.

Last Tuesdays chemo was not to bad or hard. The only thing that was unexpected was that Tucker needed another blood transfusion. Blood transfusions turns a 2 hour appointment into a 9 hour appointment. Justin took him to it and I went to work, I guess they just sat back and played Xbox & watched movies the whole time. In fact Tucker had such a great time he asked me if on this next Tuesday appointment if Dad could go with him again……… hummmmmmmmmmmmm…. Its hard for me to not go, but I can live with it. Justin just has this different way of handling Tucker and dealing with stuff. I know Tucker wants me up there, but maybe he is just really enjoying some “guy time” with dad.

I have lots more to say but its late and I want to get this posted.
Love to all Amber, Justin & Tucker

Justin & Amber Karleen (Amber's mother in law) with the 3 boys, Tucker, Jaiden and Jaired

Tucker Easter Egg Hunting

Tucker on Tuesday Chemo getting blood

Tucker with a HUGE therapy dog

Tucker eating at Red Robin's on Friday with cousin's Aspen and Autumn

Blood Transfussion on Tuesday April 19, 2011