New Year - Same Cancer

We made it through 2025! There are many moments I still have a hard time believing this is all real but here we go! The start of year 2. New year, new chapter, same story.

Have you ever read the book the body keeps the score? Or heard how our bodies remember trauma even if our conscious brains aren't thinking about it? I've been off for the past month and I know why. I am reliving all of the beginning days and weeks of Cooper's diagnosis (even when I try to ignore it). The mind-body connection is quite fascinating!

Friday we had our first appointment of the year down at Children's. I mean why not start the year off down at the hospital? Addy was able to join us for this appointment. This was the first time she's been down there with the Christmas tree back up. I know the memories were flooding back for her too.

I mean, you can just see how much he adores his sister!

Addy wants to be a pediatric oncologist. 🎗️🥹 This boy right here is her why. She wants to help other kids just like her brother. She has always wanted to be (and has been) a safe space for Cooper.

I've said this before but she truly has a gift for bringing the level of stress and anxiety down in a room. If she indeed does continue on into pediatric oncology that gift will come in handy A LOT. She also has such deep compassion and understanding from going through this first hand with her brother.

She's crazy smart. Who knows, maybe she'll even find a new cure to some childhood cancers!!

Addy talked with our nurse and picked her brain about several doctor related things. She'll be taking a class this semester where she gets to be a nursing assistant! She is hoping to be able to do that at one of the Children's hospitals. Those positions go quick but I am praying that's where she gets to land.

If any of you have a connection with Children's hospital, put in a good word for her! 😉

I am SO proud of her no matter what and I'm grateful I get a front row seat to see where God leads her with this career! I'm about to buy her, her first pair of scrubs. Makes me emotional just thinking about it.

How cute is she going to look in scrubs?! 🥰

There are so many stories I've heard of people sharing how their passion and purpose was launched from their greatest pain. When life as we've known it has been burnt to the ground could it be possible to already start seeing some of the sprouts of new life poking through that soil?

Beauty from ashes. A tapestry only God can weave.

2026

Every New Year we do vision boards. Cooper didn't make a vision board last year. He was on so many drugs he could barely stay awake and had zero energy. This year though, he filled it out quite quickly!

1- Get stronger (mental, balance and muscle)

2- A new haircut (he LOVES having his hair back and wants to do fun haircuts with it)

3- Watch Mario 2

4- Turn 11

5- Get through the year (He said when he wrote this, he just wants to be done with his pills and surgeries. Just wants to get through them)

6- Win a football championship

🧡 I freakin love this kid!

His numbers were perfect! Everything was in range and where they wanted them to be. That was a huge relief. Thank you Jesus!

What does 2026 look like for him medically?

If all (I mean WHEN all) goes as planned he will continue to have one appointment a month with a blood draw and to meet with his oncologist. He takes at home chemo every day, which so far he is tolerating quite well. Every 3 months he will have surgery to test his spinal fluid to make sure that it is clear of cancer cells, administer chemo into his spinal fluid and get IV chemo. His first surgery of the year will be at the end of this month. Those surgeries are the ones that will be hardest as we hold our breath waiting to hear the tests come back all clear of cancer.

It is hard to think this whole year will be full of chemo. However, I "think" I know what to expect so that feels less daunting than how I felt a year ago.

We can do this!!! I'm ready to soak in all the things we missed out on last year.

This time next year the date to RING THAT BELL will be in throwing distance. I can't wait to send you all that update!!

🧡 Prayer Requests 🧡

-Cooper's numbers stay in range

-A bubble of protection against the raging sickness' all around us! Strep has taken down two of my girls in the last month and the flu seems to be everywhere. We do NOT want him having to fight other illness' off 😅

-I can keep my hands open for new opportunities, no idea what those may be

-That Cooper's surgery goes well at the end of the month. That he stays safe with the anesthesia and that all results come back clear of cancer!

🧡 Much Love,

Cooper's biggest fan AKA Cooper's Mama