Wow! Some major flash-backs to the beginning of April. Izzy has been on Steroids again now for 12 days. Major irritability, extremely tired, and her belly is so swollen she looks pregnant--it is hard as rock and yet her brain tells her that she is still starving, so she eats. It is the craziest thing...she starts talking about what she ate on a certain occasion 2 months ago and how yummy it was. Her mind is consumed by food. She wakes up in the night deciding what she wants to eat come morning. And then she sits there groaning that her belly hurts.
I asked the doctor what exactly the steroids do for her and he simply said "it is a chemotherapy." He commenced to tell me that it is one of those parts to the protocol that they don't fully understand what it's doing; they just know it plays a key role in wiping out any hiding cancer cells still looming in her body somewhere. So, we feel a little like it's the blind leading the blind. Then again we want that 85% chance that she will make it through this.
So we are in a bit of a valley as she screams (literally) for more food (e.g., mac n' cheese, pizza, and cereal all before 8:00 in the morning) constantly. If we remember to laugh instead of cry (or worse, rage back), it works a lot better.
Or if we remember that Make A Wish is sending our family to Disney World in February, it can help a bit :). The rep called and worked out the details just recently. Afterwards I told Izzy I was talking to her Fairy Godmother. Her eyes got so huge as she smiled in disbelief and said "I have a Fairy Godmother?....what color is she...blue or pink?" We had the cutest conversation.
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Here is a video that is worth watching: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGS4yE5v9rM
These four ladies work at the cancer center doing all the behind-the-scenes grunt work. They bought Izzy this tile that she could turn into a work of art and it will become part of the new Children's Hospital when it is done. They love Izzy, and we love them!
8 comments:
I like the new addition to the blog with the treatment countdown bars on the right side. Maybe you should add one for Izzy's daily calorie consumption and set the limit at 10,000! Good luck pushing through the chemo. Love you!!!
Disney world rocks! I'm sure your kiddies (and yourselves) will have a blast. Hopefully izzy will be feeling up to all the fun!
We sure love each of you! I too enojoy the bar graph on the side. 85% behind you! That is great! We are praying for you always!
tiff, joey, jacob
Let us know if we can bring some food by. :-) We'd love to help any way we can.
-Laurellee Rodriguez
Just wait until you get to Give Kids the World!
Our oncologist let us know that the tumor produced by the lymphoma was destroyed by the steroids alone. We hate the side effects, but we have to love the steroids. Good luck, you will make it through it.
Just wanted to check up on you guys, we miss you and your in our prayers. you are amazing parents so keep up the good work!
I love the picture!!! I am glad to hear that you guys are going to Disney. That will be soooo much fun!!! And I also see that you are 85% done with this round of treatment. Wow does time fly or what. We still need to get together and do that dinner. Email me what days would work for you guys since you are prob. busier than me. Miss you!!!! Sending only un-moody and un-cranky thoughts your way :)
That video is something else! Thanks for sharing!
Good luck with laughing instead of raging! If anyone can do it, it's you guys!!
LOVE YOU!
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