Just when you think life is semi-normal....

Just when you think "hey this is as normal as normal can be for us" the BIG C word smacks you upside the head and turns all your plans for the weekend into a clustered mess of worry and frustration.

Let me back up.........All last week is kind of a blur in hindsight but it basically included people dropping off rummage sale donations, me picking them up or me meeting them at the storage facility. Very busy week. I picked up our GIANT U-haul nicknamed "Big Bertha" on Thursday and while my sister babysat Keegan I ran around the city like a mad women collecting bigger items that wouldn't fit in a car.

The plan for Friday was to nap when Keeg's napped because we were going to pull an all nighter to set up for the yard sale and then the sale itself was Saturday from 6-1. Keegan (or something within Keegan's system) had other plans.

On Friday when he woke up he felt a little warm. I had just talked with Dr. Shih the previous day, Keegan's counts were still dropping. Dr. Shih suspected he would need blood and/or platelets early week next week. So when we how up Friday and felt warm I took his temp it was 99.7 (which is pretty high for him since he ALWAYS runs 97.6 or so). During the day Friday he was kind of wimpy and whiny but I thought he may just be tired. I took his temp before I laid him down for a nap armpit temp came in at 100.5 and the threshold for chemo kids is 101.0 so I called Dr. Shih and left him a voicemail that his temp was trying to creep up on us and what he thought we should do.

I laid down for a lap a little before 12 and when I woke up a little after 2 and Keegan was still sound asleep I knew something wasn't right. I ran and got the thermometer and took another armpit temp. 101.9 is what it read when I turned it off before it beeped. I immediately grabbed my cell and called the HEM/ONC clinic to get the "teamleader" nurse who could advise me how to proceed.  I was promptly told to get him to the ER and quicly as possible and they would call ahead for me.

We drove to Deaconess in Newburgh, and quickly got a room. They gave him an X-ray to check for pneumonia all the while I just wanted to get him to Riley. Riley finally got in touch with the doctors in the ER and the helicopter (lifeline) was promptly on its way to us. The EMT's started him on Zosan (an IV antibiotic) and I began to cry as I learned I could not ride in the helicopter with him to Riley. We (my sister and I) walked Keegan on his stretcher out to the waiting Helicopter said my tearful goodbye and gave the EMT's my number to call when they landed.

I went home, grabbed a bag of clothes for both him and I, some toys, my computer, IPAD and his favorite blankets and got on the road. That was about  6 o'clock Evansville Time. I was almost to Vincennes (45 minutes away) when the EMT called to tell me they had just landed and Keegan did great in flight). I continued on to Indy, stopped to get food because I forgot when the last time I ate was and kept on trucking.

I got to Indy a little after 9 our time 10 theirs. He was still in the ER and I had to tell my whole story to the 2 docs that were treating him. He looked pretty bad-Pale, whiny and just all together not himself. I wasn't down in the ER for longer than an hour with him than they transferred us upstairs to our home away from home. The Hem/Onc floor.

By this time he was on another IV antibiotic and his fever had come down to the lower 100's. We got settled in with the help of the nurse and PCA (She already had ordered the bottle nipples we need when she saw we were coming in !)

Meanwhile, a massive effort in Evansville is underway to get the Rummage Sale up and together before the start on Saturday morning at 6 am. I hear from family and friends LOTS (we are talking 50 or more people) showed up Friday night to help coordinate the sale. As the numbers of people dwindled my family was there with a few other volunteers setting up through the night.

By Saturday morning more volunteers turned out and well as lots and lots of generous people to make the Rummage sale a HUGE success! I wish I could personally thank EACH.AND.EVERY.SINGLE.ONE of you who turned out to help set up for buy something from the sale but from what I can tell that would be nearly impossible.

So if you are reading this and you were anyway a part of the Karing for Keegan Rummage Sale's success. Know that from the bottom of The Chupp's hearts we thank you beyond expression able words. You have helped my family in our time of need and for that we thank you. You have provided hope that at times through this fight has seemed dismal AND you provided the reassurance that we as a community still really do care about one another.

Keegan and I are still here at Riley. He is currently getting a blood transfusion and IV antibiotics around the clock. I am ready to be home and rest. I am ready for him to feel better and most of all I am ready for our family vacation which we leave for on the 8th of July. To see my Toddler see a beach for the first time will be priceless be priceless, I can feel it.

Then its off to New York to hopefully beat this "SOB" known as cancer into the ground!

With Love from Indy,