Six days later

Go home, they told us.

Enjoy his last days.

Well guess what? He's still here. These are all his last days, but damned if this bout of pneumonia was going to be the final blow. Do you have any idea how many other diseases Dominic has overcome without an immune system? How many people in this hospital have and will continue to do all they can for him?

He's the child who lives. He will continue to do so on his own terms. And we're going home with him on Monday; not to die, but to live some more.

Dom's response to the change in antibiotics last weekend was a complete 180 from the increased breathing rate and threat of crashing. He's back to where he was two weeks ago before we admitted him to Medicine Hat Regional Hospital. And doctors are convinced the pneumonia is on the way out.

It's not as though he's perfect. He's still on a bit of oxygen and tonight will be his first with a full rate of tube feeds in a week. His diapers are still not great and he's been more prone to cuddling than running around this penthouse of a room at the Alberta Children's Hospital. His leukemia blasts are higher than they've been, though not as high as they were before we re-started the oral chemotherapy: But they're not the reason he's been sick, of that the doctors here are certain.

The week has been busy in a good way. After exactly zero visitors during our week of full-time admission in Medicine Hat, there have been no less than a dozen here in Calgary. Maybe people felt like they couldn't, or shouldn't, visit in Medicine Hat. Maybe seeing family visit here has encouraged others to do the same. All I know is how wonderful it was to sit here with our friends Wednesday night, eating Chinese food and playing cribbage and laughing while Dom slept peacefully in the adjacent room.

I've even managed to do some stories for work in the down-time; once again I should mention how great work has been to me, allowing me to take this full week off unexpectedly.

Fridays are always busy, as the regular staff sets everyone up for the weekend. We talked with a pastor who never used the word God once yet made us feel great about how we're handling everything. We met with the team at Flames Rotary House, who do respite and end-of-life care, just so they get a chance to know us now. Infectious diseases specialists set a course for his antibiotics once he leaves and our primary team said there's a 90 per cent chance he'll be discharged Monday.

Go home, they'll tell us.

Enjoy the new days we've given you.