.

April here (Chad's sister), I don't have anything new from Seattle but I thought I would share this picture my mom took last night. I also wanted to let everyone know that Amy's sister has set up the Mitchell Hatfield Cancer Fund which is at any U.S. Bank.

Finally, the other day my mom forwarded me a text from Chad that said, "...Eden came over when he saw her he perked up and said, 'hello princess". Mitchell is such a sweet boy and loves his brother and sister so much. From the time Eden was born he has referred to her as "my baby". We sure love that little guy!

Dec 8, 2010

This is actually a pic from yesterday--forgot today.

What a day of ups and downs. Mitch looked terrible most of the day, especially this morning. He was swollen and could barely open his eyes because they were so puffy. He fought a fever all day. We got some preliminary labs back and his cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) is infected. The fact that the bacteria didn't show up yesterday means we caught it in the early stages, but it's a nasty type of bacteria found in hospitals, which makes it more resistant to common antibiotics. We're giving him the hard stuff now, so we hope in a few days he'll be back in the game. Our oncologist said this strand of bacteria is particularly painful. He is so strong and rarely complains, but I can see in his face how excruciating it must be. They will give him pain killers, but don't like to because they want to monitor his alertness. Also, they want to observe his fever so limited Tylenol as well.

I feel I was blessed last night for everything to suddenly look better, because I couldn't handle the addition of meningitis in that moment. Today I was blessed with extra strength to do what had to be done and do it joyfully for Mitchell's sake.

We hope these antibiotics get working quickly, that his fever goes down, and that he can get on with treatment to fight the ultimate battle. Like any epic hero, Mitchell's journey is laden with many obstacles. I hope this is it, but am expecting it not to be. Luckily we got a fighter and he can do this; that's what Chad keeps saying, "He can handle a lot more." I hope so because he's going to have to.

On a happier note, Jackson is here to stay with us for a while. His brother continually called out for him, and since this ended up being more than just treatment, we thought he should be here. That brightened Mitch right up to see him again along with G&G Hatfield, a gift package from his great Aunt, and Brother Schickedanz from our ward. He also had a dog visitor today and the music guy again that put smiles on his face.

Everyone at this hospital is amazed by this special little boy. We feel so blessed to be his parents.

Dec 8, 2010

CSF infection. No radiation today.

Dec 7, 2010 PM

I was weak today.
I felt much better this morning. Chad (who by the way should earn the father of the year award,) called this morning and said they decided Mitchell could do radiation today. Yay! I was excited. He had to fast again though, because he had just eaten breakfast. They transported him to the other hospital where the radiation machine is via ambulance (although they couldn't turn on their alarms b/c it wasn't an emergency--lame) and everything went well. The anesthesiologist thought Mitch looked so great--he did.

Tonight after I got back from feeding Eden, Mitchell looked pained. I laid by him and for the first time he complained of pain in the head. Then we noticed a fever. Next, his CSF fluid was cloudy. He began screaming in pain, which is so not like him. The doctor dropped the word meningitis and I broke. Chad took over and I went to the bathroom to regain my composure and talk to Heavenly Father. I don't exactly know what to say anymore, so I just asked Heavenly Father to not let him suffer and do whatever is best. I especially asked for Him to show His hand tonight.

After Tylenol Mitchell's temp plateaued, and he was more talkative--closer to normal. His blood draws look good and his fluid from last night was great, and they said bacteria would have showed up then. He dumped a bunch of fluid, which helped. The conclusion now is he was overloaded. Most likely post-surgery fever+radiation headache+fasting/fatigue=too much. We should know more after tonight.

So thankful I have a faithful husband who can keep pushing me forward when I don't see the steps. Heavenly Father did show me His hand; I know He's here.

Dec 7, 2010 AM

Well, I tried to upload yesterday, but the Internet at Ronald McDonald stinks, so it never happened. Too bad because today was an extra crappy day and I can't put a happy face on at this moment (give me some sleep and maybe the sun will come out tomorrow).

We did our first dose of radiation this morning, which was nerve wracking in itself. Just when you thought it couldn't get worse for our little guy, it did. He's been leaking fluid from his incision the past couple of days, so we asked about that at his appt today and they called neurosurgery who told us to come in right away. Before I get to the climax, I thought I'd mention the poor guy had three accidents today, which never happens and he didn't notice/tell us. Anyhow, after labs, CT scan, etc the drs decided he has hydrocephalus and is leaking spinal fluid. Short story is he was rushed into neurosurgery to get a temporary shunt installed so they can monitor the fluid ensuring it's not infected. If that's clear, he'll get a permanent one installed Thursday. He fasted for 27 hours without much complaint. He asked if he could have anything at all after his procedure, and Chad hesitatingly answered, "Yes," thinking he'd ask for a dog. Mitch had him promise before asking for a yogurt. Funny kid.

My sweet mother hopped on a plane within an hour and is here to help for a while. Radiation & chemo are temporarily postponed. I hate so much that I have to ask my sweet THREE year old boy to endure so much; it's too much. Yet, through it all he can still smile and laugh--albeit less often and in pain--so I guess I can too. He has won the hearts of all he comes in contact with and has many cheerleaders and advocates here too. We just keep going forward faithfully, believing God has a purpose for us and this beautiful little boy. Mitchell's body may be weak, but his spirit is so strong, and I believe it can win out.

Some of the info I tried to post yesterday:

My sis-in-law made a blog with these posts for those who don't have Facebook.
mitchellhatfield.blogspot.com

Our address is:
Hatfields
5130 40th Ave N.E. RM#388
Seattle, WA 98105

Thanks again for all your support. You never know what it means until you go through something like this. Many have asked what they can do for us, and I ask you to do a service for someone else in honor of Mitchell. We've been so blessed and want to pay it forward. We'll keep you posted on our end. Thanks in advance for prayers.

Dec 3, 2010

The simulation went well yesterday. Now all the physicists work their theorems and angles to target the tumor and we begin radiation Monday. Today they're surgically installing a port through a jugular vein for easy access in the months to come. We're also picking up our chemo drugs today, which will also begin Monday. We get to mix up a tonic for him each day. Jackson comes to visit tonight and we are so excited. Mitchell asks for him at least ten times each day and needs his brother to help brighten his spirits. He seems to not feel well, and is very lethargic. Last night he toppled over at dinner. Although there are all these scary parts along the road, Chad and I feel so strongly he's going to make it. Fears and emotions aside, when we humbly pray for inspiration, the only thought in our mind is his survival. I feel confidence in that and it gets me through each day.

Dec 1, 2010

Here at the Ronald McDonald House. Unpacked and ready for our early morning simulation. They'll measure everything and make their marks so each treatment targets the same. Mitchell is in good spirits. We sure love this little guy.

Also forgot to mention Jackson lost his first tooth tonight when we weren't there. Wish I could have been there.