Joseph's Battle

After one last night in the hospital Rogilio Carbajal packs the bags that his family has been living out of for the past few days and waits for the final discharge from Joseph's doctor. A few nurses come in and give Joseph a few gifts and a lot of hugs. They tell him to visit them when he returns to the hospital for his further rehabilitation and reconstructive surgery. Joseph hobbles out on crutches because the wound on his leg from where the bone used to replace his jaw was extracted is healing. Rogilio Carbajal waits in the hospital with his son Joseph recovers from his last round of Chemotherapy. In this last round he was in the hospital for 5 days as he waited for his Methotrexate level to dip below .1 Each time they tested him their was palpable hope in the room that now he would be able to go home. Throughout the day either Rogelio or his wife Joaquina or one of his children stays with Joey. Though he rarely shows it, his sons illness has been hard for Rogelio to accept. When Joey came out of his jaw surgery Rogelio described him as looking lifeless and mangled with tubes extruding from everywhere. While on chemotherapy Joey has a weakend immune systems. Many times he and his wife would have to race Joey to the hospital as he burns with a fever. A few times he would collaps and his lips would turn grey. "I wouldn't wish this on anyone" Rogelio said. On one of Rogilio's many trips to the hospital cafateria for a cup of hospital coffee he mentions, "Being in the hospital is hell...all the time."

Joseph Carbajal crosses his fingers as the nurse draws a bloodsample to test his Methotrexate levels. In order to leave his level must be below .1 the night before he left his level was first tested at .11and then .1forcing him to spend the night and leave in the morning.

After one last night in the hospital Rogilio Carbajal packs the bags that his family has been living out of for the past few days and waits for the final discharge from Joseph's doctor. A few nurses come in and give Joseph a few gifts and a lot of hugs. They tell him to visit them when he returns to the hospital for his further rehabilitation and reconstructive surgery. Joseph hobles out on crutches because the wound on his leg from where the bone used to replace his jaw was extracted is healing. Rogilio Carbajal waits in the hospital with his son Joseph recovers from his last round of Chemotherapy. In this last round he was in the hospital for 5 days as he waited for his Methotrexate level to dip below .1 Each time they tested him their was palpable hope in the room that now he would be able to go home. Throughout the day either Rogelio or his wife Joaquina or one of his children stays with Joey. Though he rarely shows it, his sons illness has been hard for Rogelio to accept. When Joey came out of his jaw surgery Rogelio described him as looking lifeless and mangled with tubes extruding from everywhere. While on chemotherapy Joey has a weakend immune systems. Many times he and his wife would have to race Joey to the hospital as he burns with a fever. A few times he would collaps and his lips would turn grey. "I wouldn't wish this on anyone" Rogelio said. On one of Rogilio's many trips to the hospital cafateria for a cup of hospital coffee he mentions, "Being in the hospital is hell...all the time."

Joseph arrives home with his father, his mother is away working cleaning houses but his cousin Leoncio Fajardo is the welcoming party for his final return from the hospital after chemotherapy.