DJ THEORINE

July 2026 — Surgery recovery and the road ahead.

DJ underwent surgery on July 2nd to remove the tumor. The surgeons feel very good about getting the tumor removed, but they said it was really stuck into the surrounding tissue. The surgery was very tedious but successful. The tumor covered the top 5 inches of DJ's fibula, so the surgeons cut out about 6 inches of the bone to be safe. The fibula is often referred to as “spare parts” — used to reconstruct other bones in the body when necessary — so it didn't need any reconstruction. They just sewed up the tendons and ligaments.

The first few days after surgery were pretty rough trying to manage his pain. However, the doctors told us that after a few days, kids just want to be kids — and that's exactly what he did. He begged to go outside in the 90–100 degree temps in his wheelchair because he just wanted to be outside. He figured out how to sit on the ground to play in the sandbox and even had a water gun fight with his grandmas. He has done really well getting around with his walker or “bum shuffling” from room to room.

Besides his movement, it's so good to see glimpses of DJ returning back to his normal, happy self. He even has an appetite and has been asking for food!

DJ will resume chemotherapy on July 21st to help kill off any remaining cancerous cells in his bone marrow or bloodstream. He has about 4 rounds of chemo left, with each round taking about 5 weeks. We are still waiting on the pathology report to hear about how well the chemo worked so far. DJ is also part of a study medication that slows blood vessel growth to starve tumors. We know it's recommended by doctors, but chemo is really hard on DJ's little body — so we're enjoying the fact that he's feeling really good for now.