Add one more to the many great days ahead. Eli spent the morning relaxing at home with his Bubby and siblings. In the afternoon it was off to the science center and IMAX theatre. The science center space shuttle exhibit was sold out for the day by the time we got there but they were very kind and let us all in. Eli really enjoyed seeing the shuttle and the IMAX movie.

We are trying to let Eli spend as much time as he can with the family before he goes in again tommorow for the next round of chemo. Because it is “flu season” CHLA doesn’t allow any children under 12 as visitors so Eli won’t be seeing his sister or brother all week. While we keep ourselves occupied as much as possible not to think to much about Eli’s situation it’s weeks like this coming up one which keep us on the edge.. Hopefully Eli’s mood will be as good or better then it’s been and the week will fly by without chas vshalom any side effects or issues.

Like I have mentioned a few times this round is extremely harsh and can have strong lasting side effects we are non stop davening that this will not be the case for Elimelech Ben Basya and we are counting on everyone’s tefilos to get Eli and ourselves thru the week.

GUT VOCH. Eli had a great relaxing and enjoyable shabos with his family along with his Bubby and cousins. While we look forward to many more shabosim and good days ahead like today they have lately been few and far in between and we are about to head into a pretty tough week. BH Elis blood counts are very good right now and we are hoping the weather will cooperate tommorow so that Eli can have an enjoyable day before he needs to get back into the chemo again.

Like I mentioned on Friday this round of chemo Is apparently one of the harsher rounds and may Unfortunately cause a lot of nausea. Eli Bli ayin hora has done a lot better then we initially thought he would and we are counting on him that this week along with all the rest of the treatments will be the same. Eli’s strength and high spirits is what is keeping everyone around him happy in this tough times.

Hoping that there will be many more happy posts with all good news on Elimelech Ben Basya and that everyone should see nachos from him and we should only share in each others simchas. A GUT VOCH

BH we can add another great day to the many that are still ahead. Eli was home most of the day and had a visit from his zaidy and took it easy until it was time for today’s doctor appt. we left at 12:00 for his appointment that first required them to draw blood and then wait for 90 minutes for the results which were BH very good. Eli is now cleared to start round 3 of chemo beezrat Hashem on Monday morning.

While BH all is moving along as scheduled so far we have been warned by his doctor that this round is pretty harsh and can have strong side effects which we are both mentally and physically preparing Eli for. We are hoping that they will be wrong and Eli will be able to breeze thru this treatment as he BH has done pretty well doing.

Shabos hi melizuk and we are davening for miracles and that this should all just go away or at least be as easy and quick as possible on the road to Elimelech Ben Basyas full recovery BKAROV. Gut shabos

Today was one of those days we wished we had more of lately. Eli spent the day with his brother and sister first at bowling then at his cousins house and then home where he entertained his tante and buby who both flew in for the weekend to spend time with us and Eli. Eli was really on his game being his funny self and enjoying the many presents he was sent from the east coast and from far east where his uncle was. We look forward to many more days like today bli ayin hora.

Friday is back to CHLA for some hopefully minor testing to pre approve him for round 3 of chemo which IYH will start on Monday and go for the week. We are hoping there will be no surprises and that all will go this week as planned.

We thank everyone for their tefilos on behalf of Elimelech Ben Basya and clearly days like today are only because of your tefilos and we look forward to having many more happy reports in the near future.

Generally doctors are correct but on rare occasions they are wrong and today was one of those days that they were wrong. We were upset for the last 24 hours+ that they felt it necessary to admit Eli into the hospital over a one time fever read. Once your admitted they immediately put you on antibiotics to combat any infection that may be causing the fever. This time due to the fact that Eli was just released 2 days prior for the same reason they decided to give him 2 different antibiotics. I WENT NUTS doping and poisoning Eli because of a wrong fever read when he has so many chemicals and medicine already in his system. Bottom line was they got the results of the culture today and BH he didnt have an infection and never the less decided they should still keep him for one more night. I sent a email to all of the doctors, assistants, oncologists etc explaining that this is incorrect and wrong to do and completely unnecessary and if they don’t discharge Eli we will leave AMA (against medical advice). They finally agreed and at 4:00PM we were finally discharged. MAZAL TOV

They do however want Eli to be observed more then usual for any fever or reactions to all the poisons they gave him which we are doing anyway. We are very happy that IYH Eli will have the day to spend at home and out with his siblings and family on Thursday as unfortunately days like that are few and far in between lately.

We are hoping to have a quiet and peaceful next few days before we need to head back to CHLA for round 3 of Elimelech Ben Basyas chemo treatment. He will need to be inpatient for 4-5 days. Eli’s good mood is really keeping us calm and we are davening that this will only get better with time and that chas vshalom there should be no more bumps in the road big or small.

Today did not go as planned at all. What started as a routine sort of planned blood transfusion turned into the doctor wanting to do some more stem cell work to insure that they collected enough stem cells. So instead of being in the hospital for about 3-4 hours turned into 7 hours and then the bad news came. After all that we were finally done the day and they took Eli’s temperature one last time (they take it every 30 minutes during stem cell and transfusions) and boom he had 102.8. Basically fever means you become inpatient for at least 24-48 hours because they start with a culture that they don’t get results until that period of time. In the meantime as a precaution they immediately start Eli on antibiotics to fight any infection that may have caused the fever.

BH we have our family close by and has and is always available to us and so have some of our friends been there non stop along of course with Bikur Cholim and Chai lifeline. The food that is constantly sent and brought is a huge help as Eli bli ayin hora is slowly creeping back to his original weight per diagnosis ( not to mention how much weight we have gained). We were also introduced today to the local Chabad of Los Feliz which we now know for the next time we are here for shabos is extremely close by and has offered their full assistance.

We are hoping that this will just be another minor bump in the road and that all the tests and cultures will come back negative but in the meantime we are davening that Elimelech Ben Basya will continue to be in his upbeat mood he has been in and that the doctors and medications will continue to be the yad Hashem on the long woad to Eli’s refua shelama BKAROV

Finally the day is coming to an end. Eli had to be woken to be in the hospital at 7:30AM to start the stem cell harvesting which they first draw blood to make sure his blood counts are well enough to do the process. They then send him to take a chest x-ray to make sure his heart is in good condition for it. Then it’s a 2 hour waiting game while they check all that out and then finally they start the IV and after all that’s done they roll this big machine in which does the harvesting. Eli was a real champ and let them do what they needed to do with some minor scares and complications along the way but BH ok. They sadly had to end his day at 5:45PM with something he dreads the most the shot.

While there was a small possibility that we can get all the harvesting done in one day it seems we weren’t that lucky and will need to be back same time Tuesday morning to continue. Hoping that Tuesday goes without any scares and gets done earlier. The room they do it in is with other people in it with a curtain separating you so it’s not roomy or private but I guess it will have to do.

While Eli continues to be very happy the back and forth is definetly very tiring and stressful on us but hopefully we will get it done on Tuesday so that Elimelech Ben Basya will have some time with us and his brother and sister and his Bubby from Lakewood who is coming for the weekend and mid winter break.

What a wild last 24 hours to say the least. We were told on shabos that we will not be discharged from CHLA until Tuesday then this morning the doctor walked in this morning at about 9AM saying that Eli’s blood counts had significantly improved and that he can go home now. Wow what a relief so we packed up and went straight home. We were all relieved to finally see some improvement after a few days of very slow in the rising of his blood counts. Eli spent the afternoon at home where he received a special good bye Brocha from the Rosh Yeshiva and Rebetzin. However at about 5PM we noticed a bruise and then what seemed like a infection so there we go back in the car to the ER but on the way decided to stop at the home of Eli’s pediatrician DR Kishneff who advised us not to go as it didn’t look to worrisome to him.

So BH Eli is at home for the nigh but needs to wake up early so we can be back in the hospital at 7:30AM for his stem cell harvesting which is scheduled to take at least all day and possibly all Tuesday. This is a very important part of the treatment plan and will help beezrat Hashem significantly in the recovery.

We are hoping that all should go as good as possible during the harvesting and that it should also go as quick as possible and only help Elimelech Ben Basya on the road to his complete recovery bimehayra.

GUT VOCH is a Brocha that we are hoping will be kept to its exact definition. While we had a very peaceful and relaxing shabos in CHLA it wasnt where we want to be. Eli was BH still in his very good mood and entertaining us from his jokes and games to telling each nurse that didn’t follow his orders that they are “fired”. We will be in the hospital it seems for a few more days until they feel his numbers are high enough for him to be discharged. We are hoping that they will be high enough to do the stem cell harvesting planned for Monday morning but that will only take place of his blood counts climb high enough by then.

Eli’s brother and sister who haven’t seen him since he went to the hospital on WED evening came tonight but were only able to see Eli in the main cafeteria as they don’t allow children in during flu season to the rooms. So we all enjoyed some family Motzei shabos pizza party in the cafeteria until it got late and we all said our good byes. Bassy took the kids home and Eli and his father went back to our room for the night.

We are all davening that this unscheduled hospital stay will end soon so that we can have a few somewhat normal days altogether before next weeks round 3 of chemo begins which he will have to be back in the hospital for about 4 full days and nights. Please continue to have Elimelech Ben Basya in your tefilos. With much appreciation from all The Gradon family. And again GUT VOCH

Eli’s great mood is really keeping us going. It seems that his blood counts are not high enough to be discharged from the hospital in time for shabos. So Eli, his father and mother will be spending shabos in CHLA which hopefully the time will fly by. Eli spent the day just relaxing and receiving another blood transfusion all while smiling and laughing and keeping us all entertained. He also finally decided that he wants to eat so his Bubby sent him some warm food which he loved.

Hopefully his #s will continue to rise so that the doctors will feel comfortable enough to allow Eli to go home.

Thank you everyone for keeping us in mind and in your tefilos and beezrat Hashem this saga of Elimelech Ben Basya being in the hospital will end BKAROV with us all seeing Eli having a refua shelayma. Gut shabos