DAY 5

From Shelley: October 7 @ 9:27 PM

DAY 5

Last night our slumber party was good. Jacob stayed for the night and we stayed up until after midnight. We kind of have come to the conclusion that when we're in the hospital, a lot of "normal" will go out the window. We had snacks and watched a movie together and then laid in bed talking a while. It is amazing how sometimes we forget why we're here and things just seem normal for a while.

This afternoon Abbey had another dose of chemo. It was two shots in her thighs and although she was very upset before and right after the shots, she settled down really quickly and was in good spirits soon after. I sometimes think she can feel our anxiety b/c all morning I was dreading this and she was just upset and crabby, but right after we all felt much better. One thing that we need prayer for is her taking her oral medications. She has always been a really good medicine taker, but it is starting to get hard because of how often she has to take something. The doctors warned us about this. They said that often time kids around her age feel like everything is out of their control except for the oral medications. They still feel like they can refuse to take them. Up to this point we have gotten her to take each dose, but it ends up taking so much time to actually get her to willingly open her mouth and swallow it. We have about 2 1/2 years of lots of medicine so please just pray for her to start taking them easier. We had a huge praise today... The nurses access her port often to take blood and administer medication in it. Up until this story I'm about to tell, she had always had to be sitting on my lap and has said ouey (ouch) the whole time they are doing it. Well, today I was on the phone in our room and a nurse walked in to get Abbey's vital signs (she is fine with this). Well, next thing I know I look over and Abbey is sitting on the couch with her arms in the air (the blood flows easier when her arms are above her head), allowing the nurse to access her port!! She was smiling and just allowing the nurse to get what she needed. Praise God for her bravery!!

I also was blessed today by a visitor of a girl that I met many years ago. She has a disabled little girl and has been in and out of Rainbow Babies and Childrens Hospital for years. We talked for a while about the pain of watching a child suffer. We also talked about God's great love for us through these times and were just able to relate to each other in many ways. I was grateful to have that time with her. Tonight Kendra came (thanks Kendra) to give Abbey her last haircut before she looses her hair. Her hair had gotten so long and I knew it would be easier once it does start to fall out if it was a little shorter. She looks beautiful (our camera battery died so I have none of the actual haircut, but I'll post some of her short hair tomorrow). God truly is carrying us through each day. We are exhausted at times, but feel overall that things are going well. Abbey is handling all of this better then we could have imagined and we are so thankful that up to this point everything has gone beautifully in her treatment. She has a two day break now and the next thing that she will be having is her bone marrow test and spinal fluid test on Friday. Pray for two days of rest for her so her body can be ready for surgery on Friday.

Thank you all for your amazing e-mails, posters, cards, and letters of love, support and encouragement. We have not had time to respond to each one, but we do read everyone and feel blessed by all of you. Also, thank you for your generous gifts to us and our kids. They have all been so thoughtful. You are all carrying this burden with us and it truly has been amazing to watch the body of Christ help us through this difficult time. We are forever grateful to you all! Please keep the e-mails coming about how God is working in your lives. We have felt so encouraged each night as we unwind and read your words. God's hand in all of this and we love hearing the stories. We love you guys.