Skyler got his beads of courage today.  Beads of Courage is an organization that sends kids beads for every procedure or hard thing that they have to do while they have been sick.  They get a different color and shape of bead for each different thing they have had to do.  So its kind of like a reward for going through something hard and then they can show off everything they have done by showing people their beads.  Most children's hospitals take part in this but Primary Children's doesn't, so I was able to get in contact with them through my brother in law.  I gave them a count of all the things he has had to do and they sent me all the beads today.  Skyler thought they were pretty cool and kept asking me what that certain color meant.  It was actually good for us because it gave us a chance to talk about all the things he has done.  He doesn't remember alot of them because he was sedated for so long but he seemed really curious about everything and wanted to know all the different things they did to him while he was sleeping.  I have always been one to sit down and talk with him about things like this.  I feel like when we talk things through and he knows what is going on and what to expect and why then he does better with it.  When he has to get a certain procedure done we always talk about it first.  I explain to him what they are going to do and why (in a way a four year old with understand of course)

 Here is a list of things that Skyler has had to do so far:

6      Bone marrow aspirates

7      Lumbar Punctures

3      Biopsies

56    Chemo treatments

3      Immunizations

12    Clinic visits

136  Blood transfusions

213  Dressing Changes

2      ER visits

1      Hair loss

172  Antibiotic Infusions

145  Days spent in the hospital

5      Times in Isolation

139  Days with a fever

64    Days Neutropenic (No Immune System)

11    Line placements

34    Times taking all meds by mouth

34    Days of relearning how to walk again with a walker

123  Pokes

78    Days on dialysis

36    Days of TPN

11    Surgeries

9      CT scans

2      MRI's

4      EKG

9      ECHO

132  X-Rays

6      NG and NJ placements

6      Foleys

3      Transfers to the PICU

142  PT, OT, and RT visits

He was able to make five necklaces.  He still has more beads but we ran out of string.  Also the bigger beads you see on there represent 100 of that certain thing.  As you can see he has had to do quite a bit of not so fun things in his short little life.

Here is a link to Skyler talking about his beads:

                   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XR8Y2wo150

                  (Correction: So I guess they do do beads of courage at Primarys...silly me)