Chemo Week 13

Yesterday was my first day back for Chemo after a 3 week break. It was a long day since we had a lot of testing to do before we started the next phase of my chemo. I first had an echo-cardiogram of my heart, and after I was done the nice tech gave me a special prize. I got a lip gloss making kit! It was so much fun making lip gloss with my mom in the clinic. After we left echo I had to have a CT scan to check for any new growth in my belly or lungs. The CT scan was clear and I was able to start my next phase of Chemo. After the CT scan we went back to the clinic for chemo and my mom and dad met with my daughters and went over the results of all the tests. I did very well with accessing my port and my mom and the nurses were so proud of me, this made me feel good inside! My mom and dad said it’s not always easy to do hard things but when I do it makes me happy and I think I can do hard things.

(Mom) I took Reece to school this morning and dropped off 3 other kids. On the way in they were all laughing and giggling, Reece had chemo yesterday but her spirits were high and her energy was pretty good and she was so happy! This made me smile and feel wonderful even after all she is going through she has always been pretty upbeat

(Mom) About 2 weeks ago Reece told me that her thumb and pointer finger felt funny and tingly. We were worried about her feet having nerve irritation but didn’t think it would start in her hands. We started noticing her struggling to button her shirt, open things, pick up small items, and hold her cup, pencil and more. So at the clinic yesterday we talked with the Dr’s about what has been going on and the cause is from “vincristine” drug which she has received 13 doses and it’s a vital treatment drug but we have to stop so the nerve irritation doesn’t become permanent. We talked with the OT and got some exercises to start at home and we will be working with the OT at her school. It is actually very difficult to watch her struggle with the fine motor skills that she has had since she was a small child. She is so patient and never complains about not being able to do these seemingly simple things. After she tries and tries she will then ask for help if she can get it. I am just so amazed once again at how well she is handling things. As much as she wishes she didn’t have to go to chemo any more she does well and tries very hard to understand that all she has to go through is only helping her.

As I’ve said before about chemo being like a double edge sward…it is something that will save her and we hope will cure her cancer but at the same time it can cause other problems to her body L  I know that modern medicine is vital and I am so grateful for this day we live in, the technology we have with science is amazing but there are those times that you hear about or go through first hand that “it’s not working, or we have to stop because its causing issues that may be permanent”. Yesterday I sat in the waiting room of CT and started talking to a lady who was there with her 3 year old granddaughter who was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma last May. She has already had 3 different chemo treatments that haven’t worked L and they are trying something new yet again. I thought to myself. “How blessed are we, Reece was diagnosed, had the tumor removed and started chemo right away, 15 weeks into all this we got back good results indicating the treatment is working”. Why is this sweet child going through this relatively common cancer and they can’t get rid of it? Science has come a long way but our bodies are more complex than humans can fully understand. I do know that whatever happens to us s only to help us learn and grow and become stronger than we feel we can become. God put us here to test us, to help us learn, grow, explore and discover all we can. Sometimes it’s hard, sometimes we don’t fully understand the complexity of the human body and why we can’t fix someone with a disease that has been successfully treated for years. Every person’s body is unique and these diseases that affect us are not always as similar as we think. Yet I feel that Reece so far has had a good outcome. She has had a very successful treatment, minimal issues, and minimal side effects until now, minimal complications. As hard as this has been I feel very blessed to have this experience go as smoothly as it has. Seeing first hand and talking to so many other parents and how their journey has been rough has been heartbreaking to hear about. Although our journey has felt relativity easy I feel for those who have things more difficult and go through much more than we have. It’s heartbreaking to watch these innocent children go through these unseeingly difficult trials to only be told that “it’s not working but we can try something else”.  I am grateful for all that we have been blessed with, good results so far and a good outcome with her disease. Reece has been so strong and pretty high spirits through all this at her young age. I honestly don’t know how I would handle all that she has gone through but I can say that as her mother I have to be “strong” maybe as strong as or even stronger than she is, I have to do this for her. Clinton and I have to do our part in this trail. The Lord didn’t just intend this trial to be for her… this is for all of us, for us as a partnership and family. I’m still trying to learn what exactly I am to gain from this or what I’m supposed to learn from this, maybe it will come soon maybe it will take years to find out what this was all for. I do know that every trial, every situation good or bad has a purpose and we will without fail “know” someday WHY?

Enjoying My Break!

It’s been 2 weeks since I had Chemo. I have really enjoyed this break, last week my mom and dad teased me about missing my apt! 

I have been going to school almost every day since my last chemo. I even started walking into school all by myself! For me this was huge since I was so scared and nervous to go alone, but one day I got out of the van all by myself and walked in. My mom was very happy and proud of me, I also haven’t been sad or cried at school since then. On Feb. 2^nd I lost my 4^th tooth! I was at the table eating dinner when I somehow bumped my mouth on the salt shaker…. which knocked out my front tooth. It was already loose and very ready to come out it was just taking a long time. It hurt and started bleeding a lot but I was glad it was gone after a couple days, now I can eat better and my mom says I talk funny!

I got to go to my friend Phoebe’s Birthday party a couple weeks ago. I was excited but also nervous but had such a great time. She had a unicorn party and we did lots of fun things. I came home and told my mom how much fun I had and how her daddy was silly and making us all laugh!!

I still get tired often and take a nap almost every day but I’m happy that I am healthy enough to go to school and play with my friends.  

(Mom) Reece has made HUGE milestones and improvements since her last chemo. I am just so happy and proud of her. She is really enjoying this break as we all are! She started going to school without crying and even walking into the classroom by herself. The first day this happened I was in total amazement and just screaming inside. This small step was a HUGE leap for her. I immediately called Clinton and told him what had just happened. I honestly thought it was just a fluke but she has gone in by herself every day since and even allowed Jessica to take her to school.

I am so grateful Reece is strong and healthy enough to be able to go to school, play with friends and get out as often as we can. I was worried that being winter and all the bugs that go around during these months would make it very hard for us to go out. It’s been an amazing winter for us as far as not passing the usual bugs that typically go around the neighborhood. Reece had that one small bug a few weeks back but until yesterday none of us in this house have had so much as a cold, cough or running nose. I look at it as the biggest blessing for Reece. The common cold for anyone not battling cancer is hard enough but with her immune system very suppressed it would be much, much worse on her body. Yesterday I woke up with a very sore throat and aches so I stayed in bed and kept my distance from Reece. Feeling good today and hope that the bug I had will not pass to anyone else in the house. Just 17 days until baby brother comes. The kids are anxiously waiting for his arrival!

10th Chemo treatment

January 20, 2016

This past week was my 9^th Chemo treatment. It’s hard to believe that it’s been 9 weeks doing this. My mom says we are almost done and I get a break for a while. I am tired a lot and sleep often but try to do fun things and play. A couple weeks ago I got a virus and had to go to the ER to get some fluids and a dose of antibiotics. I wasn’t very happy about going but since my temperature was high I had to go in to make sure my port didn’t get an infection. It was a long 3 days of feeling yucky and having a fever but I made it. Good thing it was just a virus and I didn’t have to stay in the hospital. I have been going to school on the days I am home and feeling well. I am very nervous when I go but once I get to school and get involved I am happy and have a great time. I’m getting excited for my baby brother to come. My mom says he will be coming soon! Turner and I have been thinking of fun names for him but mom and dad are still deciding. I wish I had more energy and wasn’t tired all the time but my mom says it will get better after I’m all done with Chemo.

January 30, 2016

This week was a HUGE mile stone for me!! I completed my 10^th Chemotherapy treatment and that means that I get to take a little break before we start on the next course. So I have an entire 3 weeks before I have to go back for chemo!! My last chemo went very well and I did super well. My mom was very happy about my behavior and I felt good not fighting. Since I did so well I got a reward I had been asking for….. It’s a beanie boo, she is a skunk her name is Flora, and I just love her! After chemo my mom took me out to eat and then we got to visit the cats and dogs at the pound, this is one of my favorite things since I LOVE animals!

My aunt Rischel promised me that if I did really well at chemo that she would by me a cat dish for my kitty Sammy I got from build a bear. I’m excited to get to feed my kitty her new food. I went to school almost every day this week and it was great. I was feeling really well just tired as I always am.

(Mom) Reece has been doing very well with chemo, the Dr’s are very pleased with her treatment and her blood counts are recovering pretty well each week. She still has a little peach fuzz on her head but they said after this next chemo she may lose the rest of it. When she gets her “Doxorubicin” treatment that causes her to get very sick and causes hair loss more than the others. She has only received this one time in the very first treatment which is why she lost all her hair very quickly. With the 3 drugs she gets they alternate 2 of them every 4 weeks….. This is because of the side effects on the “Doxorubicin” which can potentially cause heart problems. As mentioned Reece just finished her 10^th treatment and now we star the “next” course!! Which means we get to go every 3^rd week instead of weekly. I am excited for a break and I know Reece is very happy about it as well. In this next course she will be getting 2 drugs every time instead of 2 every 4 treatments. Before she can start the next course she will have a CT scan, Echo, and ECG done. We have everything set up for Feb. 17^th just 10 days before baby comes!! Reece will also start the next course of Chemo as long as all the tests come back with good results. It will be a long day but Clinton will be taking the day off to help out. We hope that all looks good with the CT scan. This is to check and make sure the cancer has not grown any other tumors since treatment, which is very unlikely but with her cancer there is no tumor markers so the CT is the way they will determine her progress. The Echo is checking her heart, some of the Chemo drugs can potentially cause heart damage so after course they look at the heart very closely.  I am 35 weeks today and feel more ready than I want to be. This baby is VERY active and sometimes feels like he is doing flips inside me. It’s very reassuring but I would like a little break at times! I had another ultra sound on Thursday and my placenta has slightly moved so I’m not considered placenta Previa which means we will go in for a normal delivery. If things go well that is the course we will take but if I start to bleed then I will be sent to OR for the C-section. I’m happy but was actually looking forward to not feeling the pains of labor!!