Radiation...2 days down only 30 or so more to go!

Sorry it's been a few days since any updates. Mary Lee's been busy so I'm writing this one for a change. Well, the radiation treatments started on Thursday. The first day was a little rough. It felt as if we were throwing our little boy into the fire. They had to insert a special needle into the port on his chest and a little IV tube is attached to the other end of that needle. They then administer the sedation drugs through that tube. They'll be inserting the needle every Monday and then will leave it attached throughout the week and then take the needle out every Friday. During the week they'll just have it taped down on his chest pretty securely. The first day of each week will always be the longest because they have a bunch of checks that they have to run and confirm (ct scans, etc.) before they can start the radiation. The actual treatment only takes a few minutes. All in all, Thursday ended up taking about three hours. Friday was pretty much the same although Ryan was happy that they took the needle out of the port so that he was free of it all weekend.
He was very brave at radiation and took it all in stride, although he did ask me on the way home Friday why other kids didn't have problems with their eyes and why did I not have to get radiation like he does. It tore me up. I told him that stuff just happens that way but that God is always watching out for us when bad stuff happens and told him that he could not even imagine how much I would like to trade places with him if I could. The radiologist told us that if he was going to get sick he would probably do so a few hours after the treatment and that whatever his response was on the first day of treatment was often a good indicator of how he would respond every day. So far though, he has not gotten sick a single time from the radiation. Let's pray that that is an indicator of how the next six weeks will be.
Ryan's energy has been very good and he has been in a good mood all weekend, although he is driving his sister crazy with all of the karate chopping and toy sword fighting. He felt good enough that I was able to take him to Sunday School and church for the first time since the surgery. He was apprehensive on the ride there but once he got to his classroom he jumped right in and seemed to do great. I know that when I picked him up after church he was bouncing off the walls and talking a mile a minute about the lesson that day. I think it did him a lot of good to get back into the normal routine and get to be a kid again.
God has been so good to our family. It makes me smile to see Ryan so excited about learning about the Bible. He is like a sponge, soaking every story in. He never forgets any of the lessons. We may be raising Billy Graham's future replacement. One thing is for sure, he'll have one heck of a testimony just by the time he makes it to first grade. God is going to use this little fella for great things!
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. (2 Corinthians 4:17)