The Day Our Lives Changed

Here is the story: I noticed that Joey started looking pale about 3 weeks ago, but I wasn't sure if it was my imagination and only mentioned it to Jon. About a week after that, his daycare teachers said he looked pale and a little yellow. I started watching him very closely and examing his whole body, but didn't see anything else unusual. I decided to watch it for a week or so and then call the doctor.
Two days ago, I called the doctor who called in labs directives for a CBC and liver check. We didn't take him in yet because he had his regular allergy checkup scheduled - I thought maybe he was just not feeling well from allergies. Yesterday, his daycare called to say that he was really tired and we sleeping all day - this is when I really started to get worried. When I took him to see the allergy doctor this morning, she was concerned as soon as she looked at him. She recommended we do the labs right then and that I should wait there for the results. When they came back, they looked very bad and indicated luekemia, so they immediately admitted him to the hospital.

Jon and I were in complete shock. We immediately thought the worst. When that doctor asked if we needed anything, Jon said prayer. She got down on her knees in the room and prayed for us. Joey didn't know what was going on and starting asking questions like "why are you crying if I'm just sick?" and "how did I get sick?" and "how can I be sick if I'm not coughing?" Those are not easy questions to answer for a 4-yr-old.

Once in the hospital, they said they were 95% sure it was leukemia but started doing other tests. They needed to get an IV in, but his little veins kept collapsing. It took 6 pokes and lots of digging, but they finally got it. That was the hardest part of the day for Joey.

They gave him a blood transfusion and his color started coming back almost immediately.

They did a CT of his abdomin because they were a bit concered that he may have something there. So far, the preliminary results are that it was clear (a big relief).

The preliminary pathology results say that he has acute lymphoblastic leukemia, which is the most common and also most curable form. They will do a bone marrow biopsy on Monday to get more details so they can determine the best method of chemo to treat him with. He will get a central line put in tomorrow which willl stay in through the course of treatment. He may start chemo this weekend, or they may wait until after the biopsy and start it Monday or Tuesday. He'll then be started on a course for chemo for the next 18-24 months or as long as it takes to cure it.
There are many things that could be worse - it could have spread and created tumors, it could be the type that is harder to treat, he could feel really sick right now or could have gotten an infection (he has almost no immune system right now). They have assured us that this is curable. It's not an easy road to get there, but one I'll gladly go down for him.

I'm a little overwhelmed by all of the support we've already gotten. I don't know how I would have made it through the day without all of the people who came to support us. I was basketcase most of the time, but am much more calm tonight.
Reading all of the Facebook posts was calming (to know so many people are praying), but also very surreal that those posts are actually about us. This is not something that I ever expected to go though. Our lives have been changed forever, but hopefully it will be change for the good once this is over and Joey is healed.
He feels good, so please pray that he'll continue to feel good and won't get terribly sick from the chemo or have too much pain from the biopsy.
I'll continue to post updates as I can.
Thank you!
Angie