Eli took full advantage of Shabos at home with a lot of relaxing, resting and enjoying every minute of it. Eli continues to make progress daily but still has quite a ways to go until he is strong and eating what he’s expected to eat. He has been on IV as a precaution every night at home which is definitely also helping. We hope the new week only brings happiness, health, strength and weight for Eli.

There isn’t anything on the schedule other then regular labs which is generally done at home by his home health nurse and beezrat hashem the blood and platelet counts will continue to be strong.

We received extremely sad and especially hard news for us which was Bracha Sara Chaya bas Ronit Naava Tehilla a former teenage LA girl who had put up a very long and hard fight with the same diagnosis and Eli lost her hard fight BDE. Her family recently moved to EY and although we didn’t know her at all on a personal level we saw her many times locally and was always with a smile. We daven that she should be a Meilitz Yosher for her immediate family and for unfortunately ever growing large cancer family all of whom should be zoche to live long, strong and healthy lives and see EVERYONE who needs have a refua shelayma.

Please keep Elimelech Ben Basya and all cholim in mind in all your tefilos as we help him and them fight and win this terrible machla. A GUT VOCH

BH Eli is eating a little more each day and has some more strength also each day. Halevay vayter.

We look forward to Shabos as it will IYH be Elis first shabos home after 4 shabosim of being in CHLA and we hope to make up for some of the lost time.

“Shabos Hee Melizuk” for Elimelech Ben Basya and all cholim of which unfortunately there have been MANY added in the last few recent weeks. GUT SHABOS

Not much of a change since yesterday but definitely some small improvement in the eating department. As long as we have steps ahead we can’t ask for much more then that. IYH all will continue upward from here.

As always please keep Elimelech Ben Basya and all cholin in your tefilos.

Bli ayin hora Elis appointment went very well today and BH he didn’t require any transfusions on the contrary his counts were all very good. The Dr explained to Eli that while all this is going on with food tasting different and how the more he pushes himself to eat and drink the quicker his taste buds will come back and the stronger he will get. Eli took it to heart and really made a good effort to eat and drink today although not much it was the most he’s had in a long time. He also pushed himself to walk a lot further then he has. These are all baby steps but beezrat hashem they will all come together and Eli will be back to himself with some weight gaining and strength.

The next few weeks should hopefully be quiet with nothing on the planned schedule for about 3 weeks at which point we will start the next phase of treatment which is radiation. It is all done outpatient and should be pretty quick. It will take about 2-3 weeks to fully complete with Eli needing to go to CHLA 5 days a week for a few short minutes of actual treatment. Radiation will be followed by a full round of all scans such as MIBG, CT scan, bone marrow etc. Then we begin the final phase of treatment which is immunotherapy (which I know nothing about and won’t ask until the time comes) one day at a time.

We look forward to seeing Elimelech Ben Basya continue to push and help himself as he continues on the road to a refua shelayma.

Not much going on these days other then working on getting Eli to eat which is taking a little bit longer then we would of liked so far. He says that the food doesn’t taste the same which means his taste buds were affected from this past treatment (which we knew was a possibility to happen) and the only way for that to get better is for him to continue pushing himself to eat even though right now it doesn’t taste that great.

Eli has a follow up appointment on WED with his DR and IYH we hope all will continue to be on target. They will draw his blood work and will see if he may possibly need a blood or platelet transfusion. They will also be telling us the plan for the next few weeks and months which beezrat hashem should be pretty slow and easy.

Please as always continue to daven for Elimelech Ben Basya so we can see him sooner then later back to full strength and full weight and be zoche to see him have a refua shelayma BKAROV

Eli is taking baby steps forward towards helping himself gain back some much needed weight and strength. Its going to take time but beezrat hashem he will get there quicker then we hope. He tried many different foods and took a small bite out of each one but none fully agreed with him but atleast BH he kept it all down today. As a small and extra precaution to keep Eli hydrated his home health nurse came today and hooked him up on fluid IVs.

We are continuing to do everything possible to help Elimelech Ben Basya get back to himself and know that with all the tefilos, love and care he’s been getting he will IYH get there.

On a side note Eli had a huge smile on for a good while today when he found out that his favorite “uncle” Yossi Bess is engaged. Yossi has kept in touch with Eli even though he doesn’t live in LA anymore but keeps in touch by texting and calling Eli. He very much wanted to go to the Vort tonight but isn’t quite up to that yet. We promised him that when the chasuna comes he will beezrat hashem be up to it then and will fly to the chasuna. Yossi we love you and wish you only the best. MAZAL TOV

Have an easy fast

Eli did pretty well today especially given the fact that he hasn’t eaten anything in 3 weeks he is pushing himself to try to see what he can handle and what he’s in the mood of. He had a few bites of a few different things some BH stayed down and some didn’t. Hopefully sooner then later he will be back to eating everything easily and holding it all down. The most important thing is that he drinks which he has been drinking a very nice amount.

We don’t yet know the schedule for the next few weeks but other then getting Eli back to himself and IYH full strength he has no major appointments scheduled. He will have his home health nurse come and draw blood to make sure his counts are still holding strong. The next scheduled thing which we don’t yet know when it is should be radiation which is a outpatient process done over about a 2+ week period.

Elimelech Ben Basya is extremely weak and skinny and needs desperately to gain his appetite back so he can gain some much needed weight. Please as always keep him in mind in all your tefilos.

We got exactly what we have been wanting and davening the last 23 days for the doctors to let Eli GO HOME. BH they were happy with his progress and the fact that he was drinking a sizable amount and holding his blood counts. At 9:30AM the DR came in with the good news and by the time they finished paperwork it was 11:45AM and we were on our way home in a taxi. Keep in mind that initially we went in under the assumption that we will be there for 30 days so 7+ days early was and is a VERY good and big deal. It was the first time Eli had a breath of fresh air since he was admitted and I was already able to see the relief it brought him.

Of course the first thing Eli insisted on when we got home even though he is extremely weak was to go to shul but being that the hour was late and davening was over he gave me the ok to go find Bassy and the kids who were by a friend for the seuda. Eli relaxed most of the afternoon but then insisted on going to shul for mincha. He realized once at shul that it was a little harder then he hoped for and had to go back home after a few short minutes. Over the next few days and weeks we will be working on getting Eli to start eating again and helping him gain some strength and weight.

Please as always keep Elimelech Ben Basya and all cholim in your tefilos as we continue helping him on the road to a refua shelayma. A GUT VOCH

Beezrat hashem this will be the last time I will ever write GUT SHABOS from CHLA. Eli is bli ayin hora off of ALL IVs and hopefully it will stay that way. The DRs are very happy with how he is doing and coming along. They want to keep Eli on observation to make sure he can hold his own with IYH no fevers or CV any complications.

4 consecutive Shabosim not being home and being in CHLA hasn’t been easy but BH all seems to be moving in the right direction and we hope will continue to stay that way. Rabbi Ten from Bikur Cholim really lifted Elis spirits today when he came to the hospital with the Dushinsky Rebbe and his gaboyim. The rebbe gave Eli many brochos, spoke with Eli and then we all sang a nigun together. The rebbe then continued to give Bassy and myself brochos of only gezunt and yeshua.

Once again thank you to everyone who continues to have Elimelech Ben Basya in mind in their tefilos, kabalos, etc. Thank you a few of our true friends who have constantly come to visit us in the hospital and have non stopped offered their assistance in helping with the kids, having Bassy and the kids for Shabos meals, and the many others whose Kugels, cakes, cookies, snacks, shabos food, flowers etc really made this whole ordeal a lot easier for us. THANK YOU. A GUT SHABOS

Not a typical day today but hey when is anything ever typical. My mother who has been with Eli EVERY early morning that he’s been in CHLA for the last 3 weeks is in NY for our nephews Bar Mitzva. Today was also the first day for the Sori and Aris summer vacation. It wasn’t the easiest day to juggle but BH we managed and hope that there won’t be to many more days that we have to juggle as we look forward to this inpatient stay at CHLA to IYH end.

The good news is since Elis blood counts have been very good aside from his platelet count which was low again today and he needed a platelet transfusion again for the 3rd time in 7 days they doctors were comfortable enough to let out of the enclosed BMT unit and into a regular room. There is a huge difference such as we can eat in his room, we can use the bathroom in his room, we don’t need to wear the booties, Eli can leave his room and the list goes on and all of the above mentioned things he wasn’t able to do for the past 3 weeks. We look forward to Eli gaining strength, weight and his spirits and hopefully he will be able to get to go outside and breath some fresh air also for the first time in 3 weeks. Of course the next real big step we hope is to finally get home and try to have some sense of normalcy as a family in our own beds.

The endless amounts of chasadim that Chai Lifeline and Bikur Cholim have done for Eli and our family can’t be described in words. The meals twice a day, food for shabos, entertainment for the kids, games for the kids, arranging donors for blood and platelets and the list doesn’t end. Without them this challenge with Eli would be next to impossible and we can’t thank them enough for helping us out on a daily basis.

This stay at the hospital has definitely been a real test on our sanity and of course mostly on Elimelech Ben Basyas sanity but bli ayin hora things have moved along as good as can be expected and although Eli continues to occasionally run a very low grade fever he continues to make noticeable good progress. Beezrat hashem things will continue to move as quick as possible only in the right direction.