March 31

In this photo I’m wearing a StrotherStrong band from 2012 and the coolest 2026 parent’s pink “All Access Pass” to the oncology floor at Cook Children’s Medical Hospital.

I want to say thank you to all who have been so generous with your love and support. We have fajitas galore! Strother uses his DoorDash cards all day, at the hospital (sorry Cooks, the food can be pretty meh) and as he is a true night owl he manages to order late night deliveries both at home and in the hospital. And we ALL appreciate when he eats, no matter where or what time.

This is the last week Strother will need to endure chemo. I am serious when I say he doesn’t even notice what most consider the worst side effect:  nausea.

Some of the other side effects he is enduring were to be expected: weight loss, hair loss, lack of appetite and the worst, boredom coupled with a lack of energy to try to engage his mind either with friends or activities he loved.

We’ve all been there. We all have at one time been so sick and are so tired of being tired. But we just can’t muster the strength to get out and do things.

His diagnosis came 62 days ago. He’d been feeling “off” for much longer. He is sick of being sick.

We are watching closely for any additional adverse developments. As for the chemotherapy, he is sailing through it.

Unfortunately he has been more sedentary than his body is used to and sustained a small pressure sore on his heel.

The good and the bad of this is that we caught it before it became too severe. But it’s one more thing for him. The clinic did get a look at his white blood cell counts and hemoglobin and deemed it necessary to infuse a few units of blood while we were there waiting for wound care.

Blood transfusions are extraordinary. You can see his body react in real time. He got home and had more energy, an increase in appetite and, for me personally, a newfound respect for every person who has taken the time to give this precious medicine for so many by donating blood.

This is the last of the chemical bombardment he’ll need to endure. It has a brutally cumulative effect that is taking its toll on his body, his energy, his focus. And the cancer. THAT is being annihilated.   

Looking toward to the next steps, his team will watch for white blood cell counts to rebound. Tumor markers to be zero. Weight to maintain or increase.

And then about three weeks post chemo a surgical procedure to remove the tumor. It will be challenging but performed by the most brilliant surgeons Cooks has. They are already conferring with every possible medical professional to get the team in place.

Strother is in the right place, with the right team and on the right track.

I want to tell you that Strother is as excited as I am that there is an endgame. I want to say that he’s as thrilled as we all are that he’s done so amazingly well during this ridiculously challenging journey.

He is tired.

I’ll tell you this, he might look back someday and will have forgotten how hard he battled because so much chemotherapy truly numbs the mind to it all. But we saw it. We will remind him that he is stronger than many of us. Endured more than most of us ever will as adults. And he’s still a teenage boy.

This kid. Keep showing up for him for now. He’ll show us all what a survivor looks like, again.