ICU

Quick & Brief update:

Early this morning Jackson started having trouble keeping his blood pressure up on his own.  The nurses and Doctors on staff tried different remedies to resolve it.

Unfortunately, those things weren’t working and his blood pressure would decline again pretty quickly. So Jackson was transfer upstairs to the ICU. Where we will remain until he is stable with his blood pressure.

He has been put on a small dose of Blood pressure meds. They are working and his blood pressure is back in normal range at the moment.

We are still waiting for the results on the lung sample to identify what kind of infection we are dealing with. Tons of labs were ran and not all of them are back yet.

All we know is this infection is taking a toll. We are on day #9 of high fevers and feeling miserable.
Jackson has so many medications getting pumped into his tiny little body as they are literally treating for anything and everything until they get something identified.

We are praying for Answers specifically. We need to know what infection we are dealing with so we can ensure we are treating it effectively.

Jackson’s ANC is at 42 today. So not much but going in the right direction!

Dear Heavenly Father, please wrap your healing arms around our baby boy and relieve all of his pain and discomfort. Please shine a light on what is causing Jackson so much misery. Please give him the strength to get through this bump. Please allow him to rest as his little body fights hard.
In your name we pray, Amen!

Just breathe

I miss the days when My Mommy kisses made him feel better.

This last week has been really hard on Jackson. Wednesday night we were told Jackson labs tested positive for a bacterial infection in his blood.

On Sunday Jackson had still be running really high fevers 104.8  the Doctors told us that they wanted to do a CT scan of Jackson’s Chest to see if he had a fungal Infection.

They returned on Sunday Evening and said that the scans showed an infection and they were pretty sure it was a fungal infection. Sunday night they changed up all of his meds and antibotics and put him on super strong Antibotics.

Monday we saw a whole host of Doctors from the Infectious disease team. They decided they needed to get a sample of the infection from Jacksons Lungs to be able to identify the type of fungus it is so they can better treat it.
Monday night Jacksons Oxygen drooped requiring him to be placed on Oxygen.

First thing this morning he went in for his procedure and has required oxygen ever since. He is just plain miserable. I don’t know how else to describe it. He is still in lots of pain requiring a continuous morphine drip and still running high fevers as his body is trying to fight these infections.

So now we wait for those results to come back in a day or two to know what is next.
In the mean time we are still waiting for his ANC to rise so he can start fighting some of this infection on his own.

It’s a scary feeling knowing your child has two different infections and his body isn’t physically able to fight them off.  This is definitely and eye opener on what a high risk it is for him to get any kind of illness. The doctors stated he could have breathed in this fungus anywhere and he just has no immunity to fight anything off.

Of course Jackson still insists (when he is awake) that he is Fine through his tears and pain he reassures his momma that he is fine. He is a little super hero🧡

As Always thank you for the Love and prayers.

Chemo struggles

Oh buddy!

I went over to Indianapolis today to see how our little guy is doing. When in reality I knew how he was doing. I just needed to see him. And I wanted to give Cynthia a chance to leave the room...to take a break.

He’s in the thick of chemo side effects right now. He really wasn’t awake much at all today. While they think they have his bacterial infection under control he’s still struggling with a fever. He’s on continual pain meds for his neck and leg pains. And the muconisitis (maybe that’s the name...his mouth sores) are in full force.

Today he had another blood transfusion and they are giving him potassium because his electrolytes are low...just anything to try and make him feel better, at this point. He’s also getting his IV nutrition.

He’s irritable and frustrated, rightfully so. He doesn’t want the lights on, and he doesn’t want to hear talking. And he’s vocal about it! “Stop talking!” And when the nurses open the door and it brightens the room he says “go away!” It makes me smile but it breaks my heart at the same time.

So Cynthia sits in the corner where the crack of light comes in from the window. It took a while but she was able to take a quick walk and get outside for a few minutes today. I rubbed his legs to keep him calm and comfortable. Praying that he turns the corner tomorrow and can start to feel better. Hoping the fever passes and his ANC starts to rise so we can start looking forward to him feeling better and coming home again soon.

Best part...I got an “I love you” when I was leaving.

~Aunt Amy

Round 2, day 12

Round 2 day #12 - The Chemo Side Effects roared their ugly head today  and took over Jackson’s body.  It started yesterday with Jackson being very fatigued and a little grumpy. In the evening his neck and knee pain had returned.

This morning he spiked a high fever which required labs drawn from both his arm and his central line and immediately started antibiotics. His pain was bad enough we had to get him some morphine. He required a blood transfusion today and will get platelets in a day or so.
 He is lying in bed resting peacefully with the help of the ativan, as his body fights hard to rebuild everything that the chemo has killed off again.

This is the hardest part intentionally making your child sick because this is the best option for survival! I learned recently that all of the money used for cancer research only 4% of it is used for Childhood Cancer research. That sounds crazy to me. Why? Why is adult cancers more important than child hood cancer. ( not that Adult Cancer isn’t important) Why isn’t there a cure for this yet?!  I’m sure someone has a logical explanation as to why. It’s just not fair to these poor kids who all need to live their lives. I know... I know... life isn’t fair.

Anyway.... we are continuing to pray that he rebounds quickly this round. As for me... everyone keeps asking. How are you doing? How are you holding up? And the answer is. I really don’t know. I just keep doing what I need to do each day. Some days I do it better than others. I tend to do better when Matt isn’t here. When he hugs me tightly I feel every muscle in my body literally melt into him as tears start streaming down my face. It doesn’t matter when or where he hugs me it just happens and I can’t help it.
I do know that I couldn’t do this without the wonderful people in my life that are taking care of other areas of my life, my children, my job, my mother, etc.

Being here and watching Jackson go through this treatment is so hard. Being away from my other two kids is so hard, and feeling like I have no control and being so far away that I am helpless is hard. It’s all hard. I hate it but then again it all comes back to I am not in control anymore.

I’m sure I am suppose to be learning something right now... but I am not. I just know this sucks and can’t wait for it all to be over.

I try to remind myself daily how blessed we are. How things could be worse. How others are suffering in worse ways than we are. Things will get better. But I won’t lie when I say sometimes the stress, anxiety, worry, and fear trump those things.

So for now we are back to day by day to get through this round! Looking forward to being able to break out of here again.

#CancerSucks #JacksonStrong #Mytinysuperhero #SuperHeroStrong

Last day Round 2

Well today is day 9 of the 2nd induction period , this morning we finished his last chemo treatment for this stage and now We are unhooked from Fred and feeling free for now . He is still eating like a champ and filling his belly with all his favorite foods and trying some new things . This week we have found out that he actually does like mashed taters and gravy and he likes spaghetti and meatballs just like his older brother Colby .
We haven’t seen any of the severe side effects so far but we know the next nine days are going to be a little tougher on his little body . With him eating and drinking on his own so well we are hoping he recovers more quickly this period. The Dr.’s rounds have been short which they tell me if they don’t have a lot to talk about that’s a very good sign and everything is going well.
Thank you all so much for the continued prayers and support and maybe say an extra prayer this week for Jacksons  Grandma Trish as she is still at Carle in Champaign . Cynthia was able to get over there a few days this week giving Jackson plenty of daddy time this week .
-Matt

Ham Sammich

Today was a good day! I went to Indianapolis to spend some time with my little buddy. Tonight he was all boy and rowdy as can be. He’s still eating like a champ and it makes my heart happy to see a little chub back in his cheeks.

We played with Snapchat filters, watched some Disney Junior, played with toys and checked out the thunderstorm happening outside. I think he was eating almost the entire time I was there...dipping his ham sandwich in applesauce, and enjoying Doritos, of course.

Apparently he loves the hot dogs that they offer at the cafe on the first floor. He ate almost two the night before and was disappointed to learn that daddy ate his leftovers. We FaceTimed with Kiersten and Hattie...and Colby and Gigi too.

Daddy went shopping while I was there. So we had nearly two hours for just Aunt Amy and Jackson to play. For those of you that don’t know, Tuesday night, Cynthia was called to come home. Her mother was airlifted to Carle and is in critical condition. Please include Trish in your prayers. So while Jackson was missing his momma, I was happy to provide a break for my brother and enjoy some one on one time with my bud.

Cynthia continues to amaze me...her strength is unparalleled. I humbly ask that you continue to lift her and the entire family up in prayer. We know that God is the ultimate healer, and we continue to pray for complete healing.

With a grateful heart,
~Aunt Amy

Mother’s Day and more

Hello Friends....

We haven’t had a whole lot to update you all on! Here is a quick glimpse on how the last few days have been.

Jackson is on Chemo day #5. So far so good. He is tolerating it well. We really feel like him coming back healthier and Not in so much pain is a blessing. I do know that day 6&7 during the first round is really when the side effects started to kick in. On the bright side we have been able to do some of the cold therapies they suggested to prevent or reduce the mouth sores  we are praying that works and we skip the mouth sores.

Grandma and Papa brought Macy and Colby on Mother’s Day. Jackson was able to take them to the Child Life Zone and play some games.

He is eating like a horse and has gained 5lbs in just under 2 weeks other than that he has been a little sad that we have to stay in the hospital again. He was really happy to be home. So he frequently looks at the family pictures as he tells me he misses his family.

Today Trixie the therapy dog came to visit Jackson and he loved that. We also signed up for a music therapy research program over the next 3 days. So that should be fun!

The other exciting news was Jacksons T-Shirt fundraiser launched. We are so very thankful to those who donated their time, designed the shirts, are helping with the orders and printing of them and for all of you placing an order. It warms our heart with all your love and support! Thank you Always.

Shop for Jackson

Several people have asked and so we’re making it happen…

We are ready to launch a fundraiser for Jackson Myerscough!

Our #superherostrong boy just began round 2 of chemotherapy at Riley’s Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis. He’s been admitted for another 28 days as he fights his battle with AML. The outpouring of love, support and prayers from our family, friends and community have been more than we could ever imagine. A heartfelt thank you from the entire Myerscough Family.

So here’s how this works:

We will be collecting orders for shirts now until May 31st. In early June the shirts will go into production. Pay close attention when you check out. There are two options:
A.) Direct shipping or those that need it
B.) Local pickup at Unique Suites on June 20th and 21st.

Again, thank you for your continued support. Please share, spread the word and keep the prayers coming.

A special thank you to Jayna Cox Menser  and Rachel ( Danny Schwartz) with The Winning Stitch for organizing and contributing. Also to Cord Hackett with Midwest Property Improvements for all his work to get the website up and running. Thank you to Wave Graphics, Paap Printing, Lorenz Wholesale and Unique Suites ( Tiffany Myerscough Phillips and Melissa Phillips) for their generous contributions as well. It takes a village and we are certainly blessed with ours.

***Note: there is a credit card option to pay in PayPal when you checkout as a guest. If you need assistance reach out to me!

https://www.shopforjackson.com/

5117

All moved back in.. and ready to get started!

Chemo starts at 9pm.  He will have 8 days of chemo and they have him admitted for 28 days pending his numbers on day 28.

Talking with the doctor she was very excited that Jackson’s Bone Marrow MRD (Minimal Residual Disease) testing came back negative with no sign of Cancer. So a total of 4 rounds of chemo it is for now. One down and three more to go.

We spoke about Success rate for “low risk” AML today.  Dr. Mueller shared  That Jackson has a 70% chance of success with the chemo without any relapses. She said that 30% of kids with AML do relapse within the first 1-3 years after the treatment is completed. Praying Jackson is that 70% so he can go on to live a normal childhood!

As for now we celebrate all the answered prayers.

Round 2, here we go!

Round #2 here we come!

Jackson’s ANC shot up to 1100 yesterday! We couldn’t believe it. We really thought with how slow things were moving we would be home for another week.

But, we are so thankful for our extended stay at home. It was much longer than we originally anticipated and just what my family needed. We are so happy we got to celebrate Macy last night and this morning For Her Birthday! We got to watch Colby play baseball and most importantly we were all together.

We are praying that with his numbers up so high, with lots of rest and a stronger immunity he will power through this second round like a champ!
Even through all of this he continues to smile and melt our hearts each and every time!

God is listening to the massive amount of prayers. I cant Thank you all enough.

#JacksonsJourney #JacksonStrong #MyTinySuperHero #SuperHeroJackson #cancerSucks

Thankul, Grateful, Blessed

Praise the Lord and All his Glory!

Jackson is in remission and has been placed in the “Low Risk” category! Meaning he has a low risk of the chemo not working for him. This is such wonderful news and huge relief. I can’t thank you all so much for your continuous thoughts and prayers for him.

Jackson still has a long hard road  ahead of him. It’s not going to be easy watching him have to continue the treatment. But at least we know that the treatment we are giving to him is working!

With these results we know that we get to continue on the same treatment plan with the chemo. So he will have 3 more rounds of Chemo. Each round of chemo will differ on how many days he gets the chemo and what different types of chemo he will receive. But the chemo gets more intense each treatment. So we know it is going to be hard on his little body and there will be nasty side effects from the chemo.

Each round of chemo will result in another 25-35 day stay at the hospital for close monitoring of him. Since the chemo is so intense and his numbers drop to zero for so long the safest place for him is the hospital.

The doctor said that with his results coming back with no sign of the cancer she was comfortable allowing his numbers to come up on their own. Allowing his body to heal on its own time. We will report back for round two once his ANC reaches 1,000. He has his labs tomorrow to see what his numbers are. If they are at 1,000 we get admitted on Friday.

If they are not then we will be home until they are.

Again and as always thank you so much! We read all of your comments and prayers and appreciate each and everyone of them!

Also, Uncle Jeff stopped by to see him today! He had so much fun playing with him. Thanks Uncle Jeff.

Gearing up for round 2

 Whew.... it’s been a minute. Coming home felt so good for everyone. We quickly were thrown back into reality of getting the big kids off to school each day,  baseball, paying bills, running errands, and doing the “normal” mom and dad duties. We also were able to find some time to get adjustments, and massages too!  Oh and going to bed early.

Jackson has had an awesome few days. Although he wasn’t able to have many visitors he got to do some of his favorite things. Like going on a bike ride, going to the car wash (it’s his favorite) and helping with the yard work.

He slept well, ate like a champ and hasn’t been in any pain. It was so awesome seeing him back to his goofy self!

We had the in-home nurse come Thursday to draw labs and his ANC was still only at 240 so as hard as it was to keep him away from everyone we felt it was best. The doctors reminded us about the high risk of his immunity being so low and how just a common cold, flu or pneumonia is deadly for him. We didn’t want to risk it and have him be put back into isolation. We fell strongly that getting to go play and go outside is the best thing for him.

We are back in Indy tonight as Jackson has early morning appointments for labs, tests, bone marrow biopsy and his spinal tap with chemo treatment in The spine. As of now we are scheduled to go back home tomorrow and check back in on Friday May 10th for round 2. But things change each day so we will know for sure tomorrow.

Please pray with us as we pray for his bone marrow to be clear of any cancer cells. We are praying for complete remission and no sign of that evil disease. This waiting period of not knowing if the cancer is gone or not has been so hard.  Trying to keep the voices out of my head with all the What ifs... is challenging. So we pray and pray some more!

We will keep you all posted on how his procedure goes tomorrow and the results when we know!

As always ~ thank you for your love and support through this journey!

Birthday Tradition

37 days...that’s how long it’s been since our lives have felt “normal”. It’s been 37 days since the diagnosis...the kick to the gut that still leaves us struggling to breathe. Today after 37 days we got some semblance of “normal”.

These two girls both have birthdays this week. It’s been our tradition to be together to celebrate every year. The first time was when Leah was 3 and Macy was 6. But the following year we started a tradition at Gigi’s. It’s usually Mother’s Day weekend...we celebrate these girls that made US mothers (and a grandmother). They decide what we eat for dinner. They pick  out their cakes, we sing, they blow out candles.

We didn’t know if it would work out this year. But somehow God made the stars align so that we could celebrate together. So that Cynthia and I could celebrate our girls together. Sure we were missing our Jackson who was at home with Matt. His little body isn’t ready to be around other kids, yet. But for the most part, it felt normal. It felt so good, and we are thankful🧡🙏🏼😊 #Jacksonsjourney — Aunt Amy