Buh Bye Tumors!

The first symptom of RJs illness was incredible stomach pain. After several days and two CAT scans, the doctors found several tumors in both his large and small intestines and diagnosed him with Burkitt's lymphoma. With this type of cancer, the tumors can double in size every 24 hours, but luckily, they can shrink just as quickly with proper treatment.

RJ had another CAT scan on Monday and the results came back yesterday - the tumors are gone! This is the news that everyone has been waiting to hear and we're all so thrilled for him. The treatment is difficult but it is working.

Blog central got to visit with RJ yesterday afternoon and he made a valiant effort to participate, but ultimately he slept in a recliner most of the day. He did wake up to eat some pasta and have his favorite Berry Best smoothie which was encouraging. This seems to be the pattern - five days of chemo followed by over a week of pain, nausea, headaches and fatigue. Despite fears, he managed to get through this round of chemo and recovery without having to make a return trip to the hospital. His blood counts look great, kidney function is strong and his lungs are clear. It's ironic, but except for the whole cancer thing, he is actually a really healthy kid.

We're hoping that he'll feel well enough in the next few days to eat lots of high-fat foods and visit with his friends before going back for another round of chemo on January 5th. RJ got his very own iPad for Christmas which means that he can keep in touch with friends on Facebook much more easily as well as make all of his friends jealous with such a high level of cool. Watch for him on a computer screen near you.