Samuel Job Mashariki Carrasco

Sam has been eating non-stop. He was taking his monthly spate of decadron, but that ended on Sunday, I think. He’s been eating like a champ, a contender. Spaghetti here, chicken there, food Food FOOD! Right now Kafi is taking him to Vacation Bible School at our church, Pasadena Church of God, where he will likely eat again. But we just let him eat, because the medicine makes him really hungry. He stayed at Aunt Shirley’s today and yesterday, not feeling too well. When he’s over there he either plays with his toys or watches TV - just relaxing stuff.

He started the day with a spinal tap at City of Hope. Via that needle they gave him Methotrexate. Then he sat in the clinic for Vincristine via drip. Then he came home, feeling very woosy. We believe with all our hearts that we need to keep the McDonald’s to a minimum. But when he’s feeling lousy, and just got pumped up with poison (let’s call “chemotherapy” what it is, just enough poison to kill the bad guys but not enough to kill the host), and he’s crying for McDonald’s “french fries and chicken nuggets and sprite and a boy toy,” aka a Happy Meal, you give it to him. This evening we gave him Decadron, Claritin for this cough he’s had, milk of magnesia to (you know) help him, 6MP (his nightly chemo), and amoxicillin for this ear infection he had last week. 7! All day long we were giving him medicine. And he didn’t complain once. This is how he looked for most of the evening:

(click the photo for larger size)

Last night Sam had a party with his friends at Chuck E. Cheese in Pasadena. All expenses were covered by the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Then we had a sleepover for his friends (boys only) at our house. Here’s the happy crew after getting back from Chuck E. Cheese (click the photo for a larger image).

Here’s a picture of Sam’s friend (he calls her cousin) Shelby:

Shelby is 8, I think. This photo was shot at the Belize Zoo in July. Shelby and her mother accompanied us on Sam’s cruise. Shelby is beautiful.

Below is another shot of Shelby showing more of her personality. It was taken in the dining room on the cruise. At left is Sam’s cousin Adia, at right is Sam’s friend Somer, and behind them is Bel-Bel (as I call her).

Here’s Sam on the cruise, getting right in your face. I’m not sure if he shot this pic or if someone else did.

He had a good day at Aunt Shirley’s house. Now he’s falling asleep next to me. Tomorrow he might go with Ms. Penny.

Sam’s three-year-old cousin Kyle is spending the night. Kyle is Aunt Shirley’s grandson. He’s from Brooklyn, out in Cali doing the west coast thing.

Sam was extra emotional today. I think it’s the medicine. We quit giving him the decadron two days ago, but it usually takes another few days before it gets out of his system.

Sam has sonic hearing. He can hear the corn cart when it’s a block away. He’ll hear the horn - queak, queak - and immediately perk up. He loves eating two and three big ears of corn that are slathered with mayonnaise, butter, and parmesan-type cheese. Slathered.

Here’s a shot of Micah, Sam, and John John, son of John and Tina Williams. Micah is about to shove that whole piece of chicken in her life. She lives boldly. Sam is deep into his Nintendo DS. At any given moment of the day, that’s what he’s doing. John John is appropriately perplexed.