Having Cade home this weekend was amazing for all of us. The first day was a bit nerve racking as I felt like he was barley peeing, not eating or drinking much, and still throwing up on top of it all. It was stressing me out. I kept saying to him, as I’d try to encourage him to drink a little more or eat another bite, that if he doesn’t eat and drink we are going to have to go back to the hospital sooner than we want to. I just kept trying to stress the importance to him. He began to drink better by that evening and woke up at midnight because he had to pee. This was a relief. Then he wanted me to lay with him and says to me “is there any more hamburger hand pies in the fridge?” I said I wasn’t sure, but I knew very well there was not because I had eaten the leftovers earlier for lunch while he was napping. I was praying we could change the subject to avoid a meltdown. I told him it was the middle of the night, we were not getting up to eat, he could have something to drink. He wanted a juice box. Of course one that was in the fridge in the garage. So here I am half asleep putting flips on and going in to the garage for the requested juice box. Back up stairs to his room (I absolutely curse a 2 story house in the middle of the night!) where he asks me again about the hand pies. I finally say I don’t think so honey. He wants to see. So now we are walking down to the kitchen, looking in the fridge, to where he sees there’s only tortellini. Next thing I know, I am heating up several in a bowl for him to eat. But he wants to eat in his bed. Of course, because he constantly is eating in the hospital in his bed. So we are back up to his room, pastas and juice box in hand, at almost 1am. He eats a few of them, drinks 3/4 of the juice box, and finally says he’s done. Lays back down and goes to sleep. I just looked up and laughed. Hey, I prayed he would start to eat and drink more right?! Haha. Thursday he woke up and has had great intake and output since then. Thank goodness!
This weekend was spent playing outside, riding the gator around, shaving heads, and spending time with some friends and family. We were so happy to have him home and decided to have a very spur of the moment birthday party for him with his family while he was home and not connected to any tubes or wires. It was wonderful. Very out of character for me, as those of you who know me know how much I love to throw themed parties for the boys and spend weeks preparing for them. I think I may have been a party planner in another life 😉 Well this was the complete opposite of our past parties. I did NOTHING. My mom brought balloons and cupcakes, cake, and ice cream. She and my sister brought a couple simple dips for appetizers. I threw up my dollar store happy birthday signs that have gotten beyond their money’s worth in use, we ordered pizza for dinner, and that was it. Simple. Hassle free. And perfect. The boys had a great time with their cousins and all the nerf guns, foam ball guns, swords, and weapons we own. They were the rowdiest they have ever been together here at the house, but I didn’t care. Cade was home, celebrating his birthday, and having a blast. It was definitely to much activity and excitement for him because he threw up quite a bit at bedtime. I worried for a second, as it was the third time Saturday that he had thrown up, but then I shrugged it off. Friday he hadn’t thrown up once. There is good days and bad. And today may have been three times, but he had a blast. That mattered to me most.
Sunday we had the Jim McMahon fundraiser at Breakers restaurant in Crystal Lake thrown by Jason and Arienne Weisenberger in Cade’s honor. I just learned this morning that over $5,000 was raised for our sweet boy!!! We are so grateful to everyone who took part in making this happen and to the Weisenbergers for having such generous hearts and calling Chris to tell him that they were going to donate the proceeds of this event to us. Our hearts are so full from all of the love. Their kindness runs deep and has been instilled in to the sweet hearts of their children as well. I saw this first hand as their young daughter Maddie had her heart set on the mini iPad at the auction. I heard her talking about it and she looked at me and said “I really want to win the mini IPad. I already have one, but I want to win this one because I want to give it to Cade.” My eyes welled up with tears. Amazing. I hugged her many times after she won the highest bid and handed it to me for him. I can’t wait to give it to Cade and send her video/pictures of him opening it. There were so many kind people that came up to me throughout the day saying that I touched their hearts when I told our story, that they are praying for us, and will be keeping Cade in their prayers. Many which were people I had never met before. People I didn’t even know who took a moment of their time to hug me and share their kind words or their own stories with me. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart!
We have had so many small world moments since we received this life changing news about Cade. It has been unreal! The Rizzo Foundation who paid our mortgage for 1 month! The organizations that have reached out to us and/or donated different things to our family and to Cade. One organization reached out to us this weekend after seeing our story on one of the parent groups on Facebook that we are on. The organization is called FEAR?NOT! They put a special post for Cade with his story and pictures on their page and they do “Fist Bumps” for all the incredible, strong kids fighting cancer. I love this. It is the cutest thing ever. They give a generous gift to the child and call it a fist bump to them to honor them and encourage them to keep up the fight with all their hearts. What a great organization. After seeing how much Cade just wanted to go ride the Gator all weekend while he was home, we thought what better idea for his fist bump than a new Jeep power wheels for himself! We are so excited to put this together and show it to him after he gets to come home again. Thank you so much FEAR?NOT! We are so grateful for all that you do for these sweet little courageous fighters!!
This morning I have our things packed and ready to go. Today is the start of his second cycle of chemotherapy. I explained to Rylan that Cade and I have to go back to the hospital again today for Cade to get more medicine and treatments to continue to help him. I told him it would be several days before we would see him again so him and Cade gave each other big hugs and kisses saying they love one another. I drove my sweet Rylan to daycare as they both yelled at each other out the window and from the driveway “goodbye!” And “I love you!” As we drove off Rylan said “I really miss Cade already” and went on to tell me that it’s going to be hard again. I said yes, as we go back for more treatment, it is going to be hard. Like before. But we are a strong family! We are going to get through it again just like we did this last time. He said “Right. We will mom.” Chris and I have received many good suggestions from people for how to hopefully help Cade avoid getting mouth sores again this round. I have also continued to put the immune support oil mixture on his feet every night at bedtime since he’s been home, and intend to continue doing this every night. We are praying that all these little things will help his body to be even stronger through this next round and will spare his body of these awful side effects. As we get ready to depart and head back up to Milwaukee Children’s, as much as Cade tells me he does not want to go back to the hospital yet, I thank all of his Prayer Warriors for guiding him through this and ask that you continue to pray for his strength and his protection through this next round of treatment. Wish us luck! God Bless you all! ❤️
Our Warrior Journey 
