72 shots and done with Asparaginase

Today Sawyer received the last of his Asparaginase shots. For the past three or four months, we have made 24 treks to Rochester for him to receive the three shots during each visit. At the beginning it sure felt like it would be a never-ending count down! Several of these visits included additional doses of chemo. (And we made other trips for appointments not involving the shots!)

The photo below provides a glimpse into what Sawyer went through during each of these visits. After being pre-medicated with benadryl and hydrocortisone, he would receive two shots in either his upper legs or arms, followed by a single shot. Little wonder that he loathes hospitals, needles and surgical garb. It would be so nice to say that this is it; that he won't need any more chemo. Unfortunately we still have a ways to go. If all goes well, he still has two years and five months of chemo. On the upside, as his treatment progresses, the doses will be spaced farther and farther apart. He has one more appointment this week then he'll have a much-needed two week break, whew.

As I (Mark) was completing this post, one of the nursing technicians came in with a card and two boxes of cookies to congratulate Sawyer for getting through this course of chemo. Sawyer is sound asleep so it will be a nice surprise for him when he wakes up.