AIDAN'S DIARY - APRIL 2001

2-Apr-2001
I took Aidan to a nearby TaeKwon-Do class with the friendly guys and gals at Chong-Hwa to do some training. Trish took him to his first class official class with Master Low just before his diagnosis in October 1999. He really enjoys running around and jumping over pads. He has been unofficially attending classes since he was this big, first in a carry basket and later as a spectator from atop a picnic blanket. Caitlin sometimes joins Aidan on his viewing perch at class.
- Dad
 
 

Aidan in his dobuk beneath the ITF banner.  Click image to enlarge.

Aidan practicing his walking stance with help from Dad. Click image to enlarge.

Aidan performing a walking stance punch. Click image to enlarge.

4-Apr-2001
Trish, Aidan and I called upon Dr. Baker to discuss the forthcoming operation with Aidan. Trish spoke to the little man briefly beforehand to tell about the operation. He just nodded quietly, accepting the situation and then went off to play with the other kids. Somehow, he already knew something was brewing. I know he has just clocked over 6 years, but the past 18 months have aged him well beyond 6. He never fails to amaze us.
We rounded the day off on a happy note at the Scitech Discovery Centre playing with gadgets and seeing how stuff works. I don't know who enjoyed it the most, Trish or Aidan.
- Dad

5-Apr-2001
Trish, Aidan, Caitlin and I spent the morning loping along atop "the ships of the desert". For months we have been waiting to spend some time with the camels at the Calamunda Camel Farm and today was the day. Trish clung to Caitlin on one beasty, while I clung to Aidan on another. I've spent a little time with the "tall hairy kneecapped ones" in the past, but never a long walk through bush. We had a ball. The camels and staff were wonderful hosts.
- Dad
 

Trish, Caitlin, Dad and Aidan.	Aidan with a new friend.
Aidan sharing a carrot with Mr. Hairy.	Aidan's handiwork from a drawing module in the DK Preschool Learning Ladder.  Click to enlarge.

6-Apr-2001
The second of this week's distractions was a trip to Caversham Wildlife Park, featuring native fauna, such as kangaroos, koalas and, an alpaca which is sort of native, but not really. Aidan and Caitlin seemed to enjoy feeding the critters. Possibly more amusing were the Asian tourists who took a shine to Liam and Evan and snapped a few pictures for their albums.
- Dad

7-Apr-2001 to 8-Apr-2001
An Australian folk band by the name of "Weddings, Parties, Anything" summed up the weekend with a song titled "Away, Away". We escaped for a camping trip at the Lane Poole forest reserve near the town of Dwellingup, south of Perth. The whole tribe came, including some of Trish's family to help juggle kids. The days were good ... and warm. The nights were not so good ... and way cold. While Aidan and Caitlin slept through the chilly evenings, the twins opted to scream and scream some more, something to do with cold fingers and noses. We honoured camping traditions by loafing around during the day and managed to spend a little while on the Murray River paddling about. Aidan and Caitlin were quite taken by canoeing, so it could be an activiy to revive in the near future. We returned to Perth (well, actually Lesmurdie) for an Easter Egg hunt at Grandma and Opa's house. The kids now have much egg.
- Dad

9-Apr-2001
Today is the day of reckoning. Trish, Aidan and I arrived at the hospital early morning for admission and blood sampling. Aidan spent part of the morning running and flying around the ward in his Superman suit, a birthday gift courtesy of Uncle Bob and Aunty Mary. We also idled a while in the Starlight Room playing air hockey and snooker. We were summoned away from the fun stuff for surgery about 1 pm. Trish followed Aidan into pre-op and emerged a short while later. The waiting game was just beginning. 
Trish, Grandma, Nanna and Nanna Pat waited it out in the Friendship Room which adjoins theatre. Not being a "cup of tea" person I spent the time walking around Subiaco with my sister Nicola, collecting books for him to read after surgery.
Mr. George Wong, the chief neurosurgeon, emerged from theatre about 4 hours later to let us know the surgery to sample tissue for a biopsy and remove a suspected secondary tumour was a success. Another hour passed before Aidan was wheeled to the intensive care unit (ICU). Unlike the previous surgical episode, he was virtually unscathed, bar a very large bandage above his hairline; the entry point for the procedure.
Aidan was partially conscious, but mostly disoriented by the medication. His little hand reached out clumsily to touch Trish's face. Unfortunately, he slept very little in ICU due to the noise of staff and equipment that were focused on another child in a critical condition.
The prognosis is unknown at this stage. We are awaiting upon a full pathology report of the tissue sample taken during surgery. After that, we just don't know. One day at a time.
Many thanks to Aidan's neurosurgeons, Mr. George Wong and Mr. David Holthouse and the theatre staff who brought him safely through the ordeal of surgery.
- Dad
 

Aidan playing snooker in the Starlight Room before surgery. Click to enlarge.	Superman Aidan with Mum and Dad before surgery. Click to enlarge.
Superman Aidan receiving a dose of sleepy medication before surgery which dropped him like a rock.	Aidan and Dad in ICU after surgery.

10-Apr-2001
Aidan awoke a little tired and irritable in ICU, but nothing severe. He was rather parched and spent a goodly while muching on ice cubes before downing some water. He was discharged from ICU about noon and took up brief residence in Ward 3B before a CT scan. The CT scan will be used by the surgeons to determine how much tissue was removed. He returned to Ward 3B to devour a chocolate Easter Egg delivered by Kylie the playleader. He was quiet for most of the day with the heavy drugs wearing off and general fatigue from the traumatic operation. He dozed in between TV shows during the afternoon and fell into a restless slumber during the night.
Many of the nurses and other staff have set aside a special place in their hearts for Aidan and were asking after him today. We have also received many supportive email messages. Thankyou to everybody.
- Dad

11-Apr-2001
The little guy is doing so much better today. He walked to one of the school classes during the morning and was happily playing with toys when I visited at lunch. His temperature has come down to a reasonable level and he slept a little more during the night. When I left with Grandma and Opa this evening he was busily muching his way through a chocolate Easter Egg donated by Big Matthew. He was also making silly faces at me when I left, which is a very good indication of his recovery.
- Dad

12-Apr-2001
Some wonderful people at my old TaeKwon-Do club in Denver, Colorado (USA) published a short dedication to the little guy. See here.
- Dad

13-Apr-2001
Aidan and Trish returned home today. He is in great shape, bar 35 stitches along his hairline. Big James commented on a striking resemblance between Aidan's head and a softball.
- Dad

15-Apr-2001
Aidan and Caitlin have been truly honoured by the Easter Bunny this year. Our house is filled to the brim with chocolate contrivances. We will be force feeding the kids chocolate between now and next easter to clear the stash. Thanks to the many people who have donated their time, good will and eggs to the little man in the past few days.
- Dad

18-Apr-2001
Trish took Aidan to the hospital to have his stitches removed in the morning. Trish and I later attended the funeral for our neighbour Beth Colley who was diagnosed with lung and brain tumours only a few weeks ago. Beth was always asking after Aidan's health. It was only right we payed our respects.
- Dad

19-Apr-2001
The US Navy's Constellation Battle Group (USS Constellation, USS Chosin, USS Benfold, USNS San Hose and USNS Rainier) spent a few days in Perth. I tried in vain all morning and at port to organise a tour of the aircraft carrier USS Constellation for Aidan, Caitlin, Neil and I with the resident public relations officer, Lt. Charlie Brown, but to no avail. Nobody could get hold of the guy. We were eventually ushered through the passenger terminal gates by a good-natured petty officer. The tour was self-paced and included the cargo bay and flight deck. Aidan was captivated by a makeshift baseball game the sailors had rigged on the flight deck and waited patiently for his turn to swing the bat. Caitlin just wanted to go home. Each to their own. The sailors and officers proved to be good hosts.
The engineering which goes into an aircraft carrier is nothing short of amazing. Many moons ago (1982) I ventured onto the USS John F. Kennedy and still have fond memories of that visit.
Aidan, Caitlin and I saw the USS Kitty Hawk briefly in mid-1999 when it came to Perth, but arrived too late for a tour.

USS Constellation arriving in Fremantle, Western Australia on 17 April 2001

Caitlin and Aidan inspecting the cockpit of a helicopter with one of the pilots.

The lab results from Aidan's surgery on 9-Apr-2001 are inconclusive. The pathologists don't yet know what to make of the tissue sample from the biopsy. Looks like we'll be waiting a bit longer before we know what's going on.
- Dad

24-Apr-2001
Aidan, Caitlin, Trish and I took our place beneath the Stardust Circus bigtop, courtesy of the local chapter of Camp Quality. The session featured clowns, trained animals (lions, horses, monkeys and Arna the elephant) and gymnists (trapeze artists, rope artists). The clowns were great; Aidan deafened my right ear with his laughter. We were all spellbound by the gymnists balancing upon poles 30 feet up or spinning through the air ever so gracefully. The animals performed on cue (mostly), but the lions and elephant looked like they would rather be someplace else.
- Dad

Last updated: 26-Jun-2001