This is it

On By huntersmumIn medical

It is done.

I have sent the email setting in stone my son’s future. We have withdrawn Pudding from the clinical trial that he has been on.

I’ve said before that it was a horrible decision, but the answers were partly in my heart anyway. As I’ve watched Pudding lose skills over the past few years, despite being on a treatment that has the potential to save boys with Hunter Syndrome, I had come closer to accepting that we would lose him. But it still felt wrong to actually articulate it, to say that this is what was going to happen. As if by articulating it I’d have given up on him.

While we’ve been talking it through, I have wondered if selfishness was creeping in. That I’d be relieved to have less trips to Manchester and less stress over hospital procedures. That I’d be making this decision for the wrong reasons.

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But when it’s come down to it, Pudding himself has made that decision for us. I asked myself what he would want. He lives in the moment. He likes football and TV and food and going his own way. He doesn’t like needles. He doesn’t like feeling sick from anaesthetic. He doesn’t like being kept on a bed for infusions. He doesn’t understand why he feels so rotten if he gets ill.

He wants to run and enjoy life. And we want him to have that while he can.

At the moment he is still so ridiculously healthy, and all that could change in an instant if we wipe out his immune system. He has lost so much already and I don’t think we could take that away from him.

For now we are going to keep on with his weekly enzyme replacement therapy just in case there is still even the slightest hope that it is doing something to keep him more comfortable. It feels a little less stark than stopping everything at once.

We have sat with these thoughts for a while now, and it feels as right as it can do. It helped that we had a visit to Martin House Hospice at the weekend, a chance to talk with other parents and healthcare professionals away from all the normal household routines. And it has helped having messages from so many of you telling us that whatever we do will be right. Maybe that’s the benefit of blogging about all this – our support network is much bigger than I might otherwise have expected.

We’re under no illusions what our decision means. We will lose our beautiful boy to Hunter Syndrome. But not yet.

12 thoughts on “This is it”

  2. Katg

    Sending hugs to you all and a squidgy one for pudding. Build all your happy memories , nobody can take them away from you. A very hard decision to make .you are all very brave. Love to you all xxx

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  5. Dianne Thurstans

    such a decision for you to make but making this decision will stop the horrible treatment for your lovely boy and the distress you have to watch him go. through having it. Thinking of you all . Dianne (Lucys mum)

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  7. Sarah Corbett

    Our daughter was diagnosed in June 1984 just before her 2nd birthday. Her Dad said on that day ‘we will just take her home and spoil her rotten’ , the options available then were few and not feasible anyway.
    I admire you decision you will have time to build so many positive memories as we still have from our journey. Jemma died in June 1990.

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    1. huntersmum

      When Pudding was diagnosed it felt a lot more positive than in your time. So much has happened since Jemma’s diagnosis, but of course still no cure and the treatments do have their limitations. We hoped, but in the end it was not to be. Hope you will always have those precious memories of Jemma as we will from our Pudding. xxx

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  8. Carole Irwin

    You have made the best decision for Pudding, putting him first. If he hates the procedures your decision has come from putting Pudding’s feelings and wishes before your own. You have tremendous courage and l hope you have lots of quality time and make lots of amazing happy memories with all the family. Puddings happiness is paramount.
    Sending you love, strength and courage.
    💙💙💙

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