What a Difference a Year Makes

Today, April 17, is our son Bryon’s birthday.

This time last year, our lives looked a lot different than they do today. Steven (my husband) was in California with Bryon taking him to his final week of chemo. I was at my daughter Genette’s house in Virginia on April 13th when he finished his last treatment. I found myself there again this year, but with my husband. I flashed back to receiving Steven’s phone call that chemo was finished; I had a total meltdown when I heard that news! Finished!

The picture of Bryon that Steven sent me on that final treatment day was hard to see; he looked completely drugged out. But this year? This year Bryon is, well, Bryon again. His beard is back, his smile is back, and his joking attitude is back. There are residual effects from having the chemo, of course (he fights with neuropathy in his feet), but Bryon, my son, is returning.

This year, Bryon has a fiancé, Amber, and they will be getting married in November. Amber stayed by Bryon’s side and helped him fight his way through the challenges of cancer and chemo. I would say that I am excited about her joining our family, however I feel as though she is already a part of us.

Last year in February I went out to California to be with Bryon as he started his fight with chemotherapy. Carmen (our youngest daughter) went next to be with him for the second week-long round, Genette went out for his third round, and Steven went for the fourth. This year we will all be in California together, and it will be for a much happier occasion.

Yes, today is Bryon’s birthday and what a difference a year makes.

Celebrations

The further Bryon gets away from chemo, the better he feels. Chemo finished on Friday, April 13 (yes, Friday the 13th). His birthday was on April 17, but he asked that we hold off on sending his birthday package to until he felt better. We just sent that package to him!

We still do not know if the tumor is dead yet. We know that it did shrink by 50%, but he needs a PET scan to determine if it is actually dead. That scan will happen in a month; more chemo needs to leave his body first. We were hoping that the PET scan would happen this week, but we must wait. The doctor had told us that he was literally infusing Bryon with platinum, metal, and that, of course, will show up on the scan.

For now, it is amazing to see Bryon becoming himself again. I talked with him on the phone the other day and said, “You are sounding like my son again”.

His immediate tongue-in-cheek response was: “What, as opposed to your daughter”? 

“No,” I said, “as opposed to chemo and cancer.”

“Oh, ok,” he replied.

Happy and joyous day of your birth, Bryon!!  We are all cheering you on and planning to celebrate the end of cancer soon!!!