*Please keep in mind I am not a writer and I also believe in the power of speaking positive so my updates maybe skewed.. Below is long but for those who wish to get up to speed here goes:
The morning of September 8th Davin had extreme stomach pain, we ended up in the ER all day, they were able to get his pain under control, sent him home with some prescriptions and asked him to follow up with his doctor the next week. He spent the next several days resting.
He followed up with his doctor on September 15, he was very concerned due to his extremely high white blood count and told him that he thought that he might have some type of cancer. At that time, he ordered a bunch of blood tests.
By the evening of September 15th his pain was unbearable again, I dropped him up off at the ER around 11 and got a call to pick him up around 2am. By 6am on the 16th he couldn't stop vomiting and the pain was though the roof again. I once again dropped him off at the ER, took the boys to school and came back. They immediately decided he needed admitted.
Stomach cancer and other options were being thrown around; they needed the results back from the blood-work done on the 15th to get more answers. In the meantime, the crew at JCHC did an amazing job trying to keep him comfortable.
On Saturday September 18th his doctor made a special trip over to the hospital to personally deliver the news that the results came back and are pointing to Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). The staff at JCHC started searching for a hospital to transfer Davin to, they & his doctor grew very frustrated as 'all the beds were full'.
After days of waiting, God did his handy work and opened up an opportunity for Davin to go Mayo (arguably one of the best places in the world), a helicopter was scheduled to take him immediately. Unfortunately, that helicopter got canceled due to a storm that evening, mayo agreed to hold his bed and the staff at JCHC worked their magic once again and were able to secure a helicopter for the next morning.
September 21st he was flown to Rochester, MN (Mayo clinic hospital, Methodist Campus), the boys were able to watch him fly out and felt good about Dad going to 'the best place in the world'.
Before he even arrived, his care team had been working on his plan. On the morning of September 22nd they did his 1st bone marrow biopsy (without being put under) to confirm the diagnosis. They also started a chemo pill that day.
September 24th the initial bone marrow results were back confirming the diagnosis of AML as well as being FLT-3+ positive.
September 25th Started day 1 of IV chemo (1 running 24/7 for 7+ days and an additional chemo for the 1st 3 days.)
September 28th Davin was officially approved for a trial drug to combat the FLT-3+ in which he started immediately after his chemo IV's were done on Saturday night Oct 2nd.
Oct 2nd and 3rd We were able to arrange a much needed outside visit with the boys. This really was the best medicine!
Today is Monday Oct 4th, Davin has done extremely well, getting in his steps and staying positive. We are told days 10-14 in the 'cycle' are the worse and then things start getting better again. Today is day 10, he does have mouth/throat sores and a swollen tongue but feels fortunate that is all.
Misc info: *Davin is only allowed 2 caretakers per Mayo rules, those are myself (April) and his brother Travis. We are rotating being with him, we are allowed to be here from 7am to 9pm.
He is at: Mayo Clinic Hospital, Methodist Campus Davin Mondia 7-305A 201 West Center St Rochester, MN 55905 (But we are warned that mail is extremely slow so if you would like to send him a card you can send it to our home address and Travis or I can deliver.)
*He has enjoyed walking the halls and getting to know a few other patients in the hospital that are going though similar circumstances. *Mayo really does have the best of the best staff and he is getting great care by wonderful people. *He loves hearing all of your prayers and well wishes, he tears up about 80% of the time - especially if it's a message from one of his 'kids', meaning anyone he has coached, umpired or encouraged. *KEEP PRAYING
This is from last Thursday, I forgot to add to caring bridge:
Davins is currently doing his last week of consolidation chemo at Mayo 1+4. The last 2 rounds have definitely hit harder. The plan is for him to come home next Monday, he will have 4 weeks of recovery & continued weekly appointments in Rochester as he has the last 6 months. He will then be transferring his care to the University of Iowa & plans to move forward with a bone marrow transplant (BMT). The donors have been narrowed down to 2. (non-relative, young, great matches) The University is in the progress of typing the final two, Davin has done much of his preliminary steps & the plan as of now is to start the process sometime in April. He will be an in-house patient in the transplant unit for 30ish days. ( Visitor policy is very strict, same 2 visitors during the stay with visiting hours 3-7) The decision for him to go forward with the BMT has not been an easy one, we initially said no but after several meetings with the team at Mayo, The University & prayer he has decided to move forward. As always thank you for your continued prayers & support.
*Photo is the last one I took (Davin picked it) Dagin was having a really hard time with Daddy leving this go-around.
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