Chemotherapy- Round 12!

WE DID IT! SHE DID IT! OUR LITTLE HERO HAS COMPLETED 12  (OKAY 11.5) ROUNDS OF CHEMOTHERAPY!!! WE COULD NOT BE PROUDER OF THIS LITTLE HERO! 

OF COURSE IN TRUE LADYBUG FASHION WE HAD TO GO OUT WITH A BANG! WE WERE ALL OF ABOUT 5 MINUTES INTO TREATMENT WHEN THE NAUSEA HIT AN ALL TIME HIGH. OUR POOR GIRL WAS SICK WITHIN MINUTES. WE AGAIN STOPPED TREATMENT, MET WITH THE MEDICAL TEAM AND DECIDED ON THE BEST WAY TO MOVE FORWARD. MORE MEDS FOR THE NAUSEA AND WE STARTED BACK UP AGAIN. BY THIS TIME OUR FAMILIES WERE ARRIVING FOR THE END OF CHEMO CELEBRATION, I STEPPED OUTSIDE FOR MINUTE TO SAY HELLO. MY SISTER DECIDED TO COME IN AND SAY HELLO AND GIVE LADYBUG A LITTLE HUG. UPON ENTERING THE ROOM SHE NOTICED LADYBUG’S FACE SEEMED TO BE SWOLLEN, HER EYES IN PARTICULAR. GIVEN SHE HAD BEEN CRYING OFF AND ON FOR THE LAST HOUR WE CHALKED IT UP TO THAT. A FEW MINUTES LATER THINGS SEEMED TO BE GETTING WORSE. LADYBUG BECAME INCREASINGLY UNCOMFORTABLE AND MY SISTER MENTIONED HER LEFT EYE JUST DIDN’T LOOK RIGHT. BRETT TOOK ONE LOOK AT HER AND KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG. THE ENTIRE LEFT SIDE OF HER FACE WAS RED AND SWOLLEN, AT THIS POINT WE COULD BARELY SEE HER LEFT EYE. IT HAD BEEN LESS THAN 5 MINUTES AND THINGS WERE DEFINITELY NOT IMPROVING. I GRABBED OUR NURSE, WHO PROMPTLY HIT THE STOP BUTTON ON THE INFUSION AND IMMEDIATELY PAGED THE DOCTOR. THAT WAS IT. THE ONCOLOGY TEAM TOOK ONE LOOK AT HER AND DECIDED WE JUST COULD NOT GO ON ANY FURTHER- HALFWAY THROUGH ROUND 12 AND WE WERE OFFICIALLY CALLING IT QUITS! CHEMOTHERAPY WAS DONE. FINISHED. COMPLETE. EXCITEMENT QUICKLY TURNED TO DOUBT. WE WERE SCARED. WHAT IF NOT COMPLETING THE TREATMENT PLAN CAUSES THE TUMOR TO START GROWING AGAIN… WHAT IF………OUR MEDICAL TEAM QUICKLY STOPPED US AND ASSURED US WE WERE DOING THE RIGHT THING. WE WERE DOING EXACTLY WHAT THEY WOULD BE DOING IF IT WAS THEIR CHILD. BECAUSE OF THE SEVERITY OF THE REACTION LADYBUG WAS HAVING THE MEDICAL TEAM WATCHED HER FOR 45 MINUTES TO ENSURE THE MEDICATION WERE WORKING PROPERLY AND GETTING HER BACK TO OUR HAPPY BABY. THE DRUGS HAD OUR GIRL ACTING A LITTLE CRAZY…

 A LITTLE LESS THAN AN HOUR LATER OUR FAMILY HAD ARRIVED, GRANDPA WAS ON THE PHONE, AND WE WERE READY TO CELEBRATE. READY TO CELEBRATE EVERY SINGLE POKE, TEST, EXAMINATION, TEAR, AND SMILE. 12 MONTHS CAME RUSHING BACK IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE. EVERYTHING SHE HAS BEEN THROUGH ALL HERE IN THIS MOMENT… OUR GIRL DID IT! 

WARNING! GRAB YOUR TISSUES!

THERE ARE NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE THE APPRECIATION WE HAVE FOR THE ONCOLOGY DEPARTMENT. THESE AMAZING INDIVIDUALS HAVE LITERALLY KEPT US AFLOAT THROUGH ALL OF THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS. I HOPE NONE OF YOU WILL EVER HAVE TO MEET THESE AMAZING FOLKS BUT IF YOU DO, KNOW YOU ARE IN GREAT HANDS. WE’VE GOT SOME AMAZING PEOPLE UP HERE AT PRIMARY CHILDREN’S! 

TO OUR FAMILY, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR LOVE AND SUPPORT. WE LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!

TO OUR LADYBUG, MISS RYLIE MARKAY. WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH. BABY GIRL YOU ARE ONE OF THE MOST INSPIRATIONAL SOULS WE HAVE EVER HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING. TO SAY WE ARE PROUD OF YOU IS THE UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE CENTURY. A FEW MONTHS BACK WE WERE SENT A QUOTE…

“SOME PEOPLE NEVER GET TO MEET THEIR HERO, WE GET TO RAISE OURS!” 

LADYBUG, WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU FOR SHOWING US THE TRUE MEANING OF LOVE. WE’VE CLOSED THIS CHAPTER. WE’RE MOVING ON TO THE NEXT PHASE. REGARDLESS OF WHAT COMES YOUR WAY WE WILL BE HERE. THE THREE OF US- STANDING STRONG. REMEMBER, NO MATTER WHAT COMES ABOUT YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS. IN THREE YEARS YOU’VE ACCOMPLISHED SO MUCH. THE BEST IS YET TO COME. GO GET IT!