Update

After a lovely family Christmas where all three of the boys had a very exciting time, Fintan had another dose of chemo at the John Radcliffe in Oxford last Friday. Unfortunately, things didn't go as smoothly this time. Before we left for the hospital in the morning, we noticed that the skin on Fintan's neck was looking red where his hickman line tracks. The doctors decided that he had a skin infection; Fintan still had his chemo and was prescribed some oral antibiotics to help fight off this infection. This created another problem, Fintan will not take medicines orally - as soon as we give him anything, he just vomits it back up again! So we all decided that the best thing was for Fintan to have a gastric tube fitted so we could give him his antibiotics, Calpol and anti-sickness medicines through this. Fintan has not really looked ill so far, but having had the tube fitted, makes it more obvious that he is poorly.



We got back from Oxford at about 6.00 pm, only to discover that Fintan had a raging temperature, he looked awful and was limp and grey. We were back at Wycombe Hospital by 7.30pm; he was examined and bloods taken and released at about 1.15am as there was no obvious reason for his fever, he was quite happy and his temperature had come down. However, we were back at Wycombe Hospital by Saturday afternoon as his temperature had rocketed again. It was decided that he must have had an infection brewing in his hickman line and when they accessed it in Oxford to administer his chemo it pushed the infection into his blood. Fintan was released Saturday evening, but we are now in and out of Wycombe Hospital on a daily basis to have antibiotics administered intravenously as the oral antibiotics were only for skin infections and would not have helped fight the line infection.

Anyway, Fintan no longer has a temperature and seems to be fighting off the infection. He also made the decision to remove his gastric tube, as it is no longer required, and did so sometime in his sleep last night!

On Wednesday, Fintan and Barnaby go to the Royal London Hospital to have their eyes examined by Mr Hungerford,the retinoblastoma specialist. Hopefully we will find out how Fintan is responding to the chemotherapy. Barnaby is being examined to ensure he does not also have Rb. We will update you on how they got on later in the week.

Finally, here are a few pictures from Christmas and Friday's day out at Oxford. Happy New Year and here's looking for a good 2008.


Fintan opening his stocking.



Fintan showing the diversity of the NHS sick bowl/hat!



Barnaby can't eat his Christmas dinner any faster!



Now which toy has the brightest lights?!!



Archie tells his Christmas Cracker joke...heard it!



It's a chair not a potty!