Cycle 7, Day 1 update and pics

Summer is doing pretty good at the end of day 1 of chemo. She has been pumped full of drugs today: heart protectant, 3 different chemo drugs, mesna, zophran. She weighed 34.3 pounds this morning which is the most she has ever weighed. My baby girl has all but disappeared over the past six months. No more baby fat or sweet innocence. She has been introduced to pain and sickness like she has never known in her short life. I pray that all of this is not in vain and she will be cured. She was a little nauseous earlier this evening when she saw the plate of food they brought her: baked chicken and mashed potatoes. I think it was all the green spices on top of the chicken that got to her, but who really knows? She made it to the trash can and didn't really lose too much. Wasn't much in there to begin with. All she ate today was a little egg, about 1/4 a piece of toast and some vanilla wafers. This evening she ate several black olives and some chicken noodle broth. We are currently waiting on more broth. I'm glad to see she is eating something. Now, here are the pics I promised.

Decorating the sugar cookies she just had to make (but didn't eat any of....) The final product of our work: turtle, heart, lion, tree & koala bear cookies

Lexie eating a jar of veggies and rice

she's starting to teeth at 11 1/2 months

Summer is dressed in my pool wrap

Playing in water downtown

Wade helps Katie and Summer with their fish

Wearing the flowergirl's dress from my wedding

Her picture on the Walnut Street Bridge

How adorable is she????

I love you!

Daddy carries his tired little girl

Posing under her pic

Our family of three

Summer eats some goldfish at the United Way fair

Katelyn, Summer and Liliana go way back....well 3 years :) Swimming and making faces

More funny faces

Smiling for the camera again. What a lucky day!!!

Summer was a prankster giving family members a pizza box with a toy rat in it. LOL

Cycle 7 starts tomorrow

We are in our small (booo!!!) hospital room where we will remain until Friday morning. Summer's counts were up today although I'm not sure what they actually were. I did ask the Dr. today what the 55% meant on the Muga scan. It is the volume of blood that leaves the heart when it contracts. Normal is between 50 & 60% so that is a very good number indeed!!! I told the Dr. that I thought it meant only 55% of her heart wasn't damaged and he was glad I did because he had never thought of it that way since he knows all of the stuff like the back of his hand. He could see where I came up with my deduction and was glad to know for the future that things should be explained a little more for us non-medically educated parents.

We had an awesome week off. It is always good when we get to the end of a cycle because she is feeling good and acting like a normal, healthy kid again. I am sad to see that brightness fade, but hopefully it will take a few days for the chemo to bring her down from her current feel good state. She still complains "my belly hurts" a few times a day. Mostly it is at night or when she is eating or doesn't want to do something. lol I took her off the Zantac a week ago and she still has the same amount of discomfort. No more, no less. I don't see any sense in taking it and no one has disagreed with me so far. I also stopped giving her the allergy med about the same time. She hasn't had any nasal or respiratory problems since then so I assume she doesn't need it. The only home med she is on right now is the Miralax which I will not stop until we are done with chemo. I know she needs it to keep her poop nice and soft.

She has said so many cute things over the past few days, but for the life of me I can't remember them. Oh well. Good thing I have this blog to look back on all the things I did remember when it came time to sit and blog.

She is curled up in the bed now. Not sure a 5:00 p.m. nap is the best thing, but I know she was sleepy. We were in the clinic from 9:15 a.m. until about 3:00 p.m. which does not lend well for an afternoon nap. I hope she still sleeps good tonight and isn't up before the resident gets here in the morning. But, as the saying goes, whatever will be, will be. Please pray that she doesn't have any major reactions to the chemo this week and her heart will remain healthy enough to not require medication for the rest of her life.

Two ways to be charitable

For anyone interested, there is a banner of with Summer and Teddy's picture hanging on Chattanooga's Walnut Street Bridge from now until Sunday, September 20th. So put on your walking shoes and head to the bridge for a nice walk. There are 7 other pics of kids who also receive treatment locally at the clinic and T.C. Thompson Children's Hospital. The banners are there to raise awareness for Childhood Cancer and to also hopefully raise money for our local children's hospital.

Also, I have failed to mention on my blog, I think, that September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Not sure how I could've made it half way through September without mentioning it, but I'll blame it on Facebook. Many local cancer moms are selling gold bows/ribbons (for your home or office door) for $7.00 or a gold bow car magnet for $10.00. If you want one, you can get in touch with me or go to www.erlanger.org/curekidscancer (this will be good for all of you out of towners who want a flashy new magnet for your car). :) The money we raise will go to the hematology and oncology clinic where Summer is treated. A good cause for sure!!!!

For all you Chattanoogans.....


Taste of Hamilton place benefiting our cancer kids here in Chattanooga is next Sunday (the 20th) See below....

I wanted to be sure you knew about Taste of Hamilton Place on September 20th. (You can buy advance tickets at a discount online at www.tasteofhamiltonplace.com ) This is the first Taste of Hamilton Place event, and it promises to be a delicious way to help the kids at T.C. Thompson Children's Hospital! We have more than 25 area restaurants participating, and one price gets you samplings of a huge variety of creations from ribs and jambalaya to gourmet cupcakes! Macaroni Grill, Bonefish, Big River, Abuelo's and many more will be there, and all proceeds benefit the Children's Cancer Center at T.C. Thompson Children's Hospital. More than 50 children will be diagnosed with cancer in the Chattanooga region this year, and this world-class center allows them to be treated right here at home without leaving their support network of family and friends. Taste of Hamilton Place is a great way to spend a fun dinner with the whole family for a great cause. We'll have lots of entertainment, and Stefanie Whittler, Miss Tennessee 2009, will be singing and signing autographs. Please pass the word on and I hope to see you there! To buy tickets or for more information you can call the foundation offices at 778- 6600 or go to http://www.tasteofhamiltonplace.com/

I should have lots of pics to share on Wednesday, including a few of the bridge. Stay tuned.

Beautiful, healthy, happy

That's what I see when I look at my little girl. I'm sure there are many more words I could use to describe her. Adorable, silly, cute....ok, I'll stop there. She's dressed as a princess today wearing the dress my niece wore as the flower girl in my wedding. Simply adorable. I couldn't help but to think this could be her only wedding dress when I looked at her snapping pics like a mad woman. She just ran up to me and said, "Mom, I look more beautiful." Oh this little girl just melts my heart. She wants to wear the dress all day, and I don't really see the problem in letting her. I don't foresee anyone wearing the dress again so what are a few more stains and snags going to hurt. Nothing.

This morning she got up and I put on some cartoons, asked her if she was hungry (to which she replied no) and then went back to bed. Have I ever mentioned how lucky I am to have a well behaved child who I know will not reek havoc on the house should I not be watching over her? Well, I am. When I woke up, she was at the coffee table with two slices of bread laid side by side, a jar of peanut butter and a jar of jelly. I asked her what she was doing and she said she was going to try to make her sandwich all by herself. Of course, she couldn't get the lids off the jars so she didn't get very far. It was cute. She had also opened a poptart and taken a few bites out of it. I am happy to see her regaining some of her independence.

Yesterday, she caught her first fish. Well, she wasn't actually manning her fishing pole when it happened, but she did help reel it in. She had been fishing for a good ten to fifteen minutes and had given up after loosing many worms to the fish. Her friend Katie also caught a fish at the same time. The girls were a little overwhelmed to have two fish to deal with at once. I ran up to the house to get the camera so we could capture the moment. Summer didn't really want anything to do with the fish once we got it out of the water and would barely even stand beside it. I don't think Katie touched her fish either. Thank goodness for mommies and daddies who can take care of the icky parts like putting on the worms and taking the fish off the hooks. I'll be sure to put up a pic next week. I think I am going to try to do a picture update every other week on Wednesdays. Not sure it will actually happen, but it does sound like a good goal. I know everyone loves the pics and this is the closest thing I have to a picture album right now.

I guess I'm going to get off here and enjoy the rest and relaxation that lake house brings. Summer is definitely enjoying herself here. We are blessed to have so much in life.

Days full of laughter

The past few days have been wonderful. Lots of laughter going on between Summer and myself. She really likes to play chase, and I have found it to be pretty fun myself. Just be careful if you are running on the hardwood floors in socks! We haven't really played that yet today (although she has asked a few times), but we did go down to the water in front of the aquarium and play for a while. Lots of jumping and splashing and laughing....FUN!!! It is so good to see her looking healthy and enjoying life to its fullest like a little girl should.

Yesterday, we were cooking something and she was either eating Parmesan cheese or angel food cake batter and she said, "It keeps getting gooder and gooder." Of course, I took the time to try to teach her it was better and better. We'll see if it sticks. In addition to the angel food cake, we made home made lasagna. She helped me stir up the eggs and cheese and also put the noodles into the pan when it was time. I just love spending time like that together. I hope she gets to grow up and use these cooking skills she is learning. :***( I don't usually think those hard, sad thoughts, but sometimes when life is feeling good I wonder if it will last.

She just went down for a nap, and I think Lexie may be on the way here. It will be fun to play with a baby for a while. I may never get another of my own, so I gotta enjoy the grandchild. It is still hard for me to believe I am a grandmother (thanks to my stepdaughter, Amanda). Lexie is a doll and I wouldn't trade her for any other. I still haven't picked out an official grandma name, but I think we are leaning towards Lolly right now. Granny just doesn't fit although I've been called it plenty of times by envious friends without grandchildren of their own. LOL Okay, they were probably not so jealous.

I am hoping the rest of the week continues with us all feeling healthy and happy. I am so thankful we were blessed with this extra week of her feeling good. I don't think I could ever get tired of that.

Counts low, but spirits up!

Summer had an appt. this morning at the clinic for a possible admission for cycle #7. Her platelets are still too low, 38,000, so we have the rest of the week off. WOOOOOO-HOOOOOO!!!!!!! Another week of feeling good is always welcomed around here. She is up to 33.3 pounds. Hemoglobin was 11 and white blood count was 1.9, both are good numbers. Her ANC is 500 which I thought was low, but the doctor said she can go fun places. We'll have to see about that. Maybe fun outdoor places or places where we know everyone is healthy. I'm not so sure I'm going to spring for Chuck E. Cheese though. It has already crossed my mind that we could go as soon as they open and I could take a can of Lysol with us. I know. Shame on me, but I have already admitted I'm not the homebody type. I like to go, go, go and so does Summer. I see so much of myself in her it is crazy. She uses the same language as me, and no I don't mean English. We use words like crazy, insane, funky. Oh my, what am I teaching my daughter? Hopefully to have a carefree and fun spirit, at least that is my intention. I sure don't want to raise a sour puss!

We had a BIG hug on Sunday when we were reunited after a three day vacation from each other. It was awesome. I didn't think she was going to let go, and it felt so good I didn't want to let go either. I just love those moments. She surprised me with a bird house she had painted for me. It shaped like a church and is pink and purple. I'll have to take some pics when I get it to its place in this home. It's still in the bag and need a clear coat to seal the paint. I have a feeling it is going to end up outside on the balcony.

Yesterday, we had a cookout up at the lake with some friends. Summer played really good with the eleven year old girl, Katie, that was there. It was nice because I got to grill in peace. :) After lunch, the girls and I played in the hot tub which was like pool water since we had just filled it up with the water hose. I was chased through the yard with buckets full of cold water. Then Summer reminded us we weren't playing with her. LOL I think she enjoyed watching though. She didn't want the bucket dumped on her head that was for sure. However, Katie did dump it on her a few times. She took them pretty good and didn't have a major melt down so I didn't reprimand Katie. For dinner, the girls helped me make home made pizzas. Katie's pizza had very little sauce and a lot of cheese. Summer's had lots of sauce and just a little cheese. I think Summer's was preferred by everyone, but Katie. I guess she's going to be a "good cooker" too when she grows up. :p Last night, she had a major melt down at bed time. She didn't want to stay there, but would have preferred we returned to the condo. Not sure why it was such a big deal, but we didn't cave and stayed at the lake. It was nice being out there, no temptations to leave the house except to walk down to see the neighbors. We may go out there again later this week. I hope she is cool with that. LOL

I foresee a nap in her future today. She got up just after six this morning. Plus, she is saying the carrots and broccoli in her pasta don't taste good. I only put in a few and told her she had to eat them which she agreed to do after she finished the noodles. Maybe I should've just fed her myself then I could have snuck them in with bites of pasta. Instead, I am eating lunch at the computer trying to get this blog updated. I think it was worth it. Why is it though that when I tell her she has to eat them or take a nap she says, "My belly hurts. I need my Teddy. I'm tired." Vegetable bites now in with only a few tears shed. Noodles and chicken refilled. We'll see if she eats the one carrot I put in there under it all. (nope!)

Not sure what the week ahead holds, but hopefully some times with friends. Lets hope everyone stays healthy so that can happen. I also foresee lots of cartoons now that we have them 24/7. Yay for satellite TV! I am also going to see about getting "The Sound of Music" for us to watch. I think Summer might enjoy it...if she gives it a chance. I'll just have to tell her it is a "kid" movie.

Oh yeah, the scan showed her heart is 55%. Not sure what that means, but it means it is not too damaged. I did find out that number is equal to 30% on the echo cardiogram. Not much clearer, huh? I'm not very good (or interested) in asking the hard questions or getting specific details. The doctor didn't seem very concerned so I took that as a good sign. I know they are going to use the heart protectant and give the full dose of Doxyrubicin. If her counts recoup, cycle #7 will start next Tuesday. Don't hold your breath though. If I've learned anything over the past few months, it is that the future is never certain.

She's a camper!

Last night, Summer camped out with Memaw and Nanny in a camper on their property. They had a campfire and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. It sounded like they had a really good time when I called and talked to Summer this morning. She asked me if I would go camping with them sometime. :) I think they might go canoeing today.

Yesterday was her Muga scan. We do not have the results yet, but should get them on Tuesday when we go in for cycle #7. I am curious to find out the state her heart is in, but worried at the same time. I'm not sure how comfortable I'm going to feel with her getting the Doxyrubicin even if they think her heart is strong enough for it. I just don't want to see her suffer any more than she already is. I will just put it all in God's hand though because He is in control anyway. Her port is not getting a good blood return thanks to a nurse who didn't use the right heparin before she deaccessed her. They tried putting something in it yesterday to unclog it, but it didn't work. I think they will try again on Tuesday. I really hope they do not have to replace it and so far they are not talking about it, but they do have to get blood out of it so if it doesn't start working.....

I can't wait to get back to her tomorrow. I sure do miss my little girl!!! Three nights away is plenty right now although a week on a tropical island does sound pretty tempting.