Clinic Day

Our day at the clinic was o.k.  She was a trooper like normal in all that happens on our days there.  I added a picture of her in the stroller while we were checking in yesterday.  The ICC is in the hospital and we have to walk through the hospital to get there so she has to wear a mask since we come in contact with many people on the way up to the floor.  She never complains about it and knows that once we are on our floor she can take it off.  The one (and only) time Jim and I have been back to church since she was diagnosed (Jim's parents stayed home with Abbey), she wanted to go with us to church. I explained to her how she couldn't go out yet since we have to be careful that she doesn't get anyone else's germies.  She said "mommy, I can just wear my mask to church."  It was was sweet that she was willing to wear it so she could go to church.  She has been incredibly good about not being able to leave the house though and God has really given her an understanding and acceptance of why she can't go in public.  

So, yesterday at the clinic, they again found that her numbers were too low to continue on in her treatment.  They were up some from last week, but not up enough.  The doctor again said that he isn't too concerned about it and feels they should be up enough by next week.  They are giving her a break from her Bactrim this week (it's a preventative medicine so she doesn't develop pneumonia) because they said that can sometimes cause her numbers to have a harder time coming up.  She will start up on a similar medicine next week.  Please pray that by next Friday her blood would look great.  If it goes on too long they will start to run more tests to see if there is something going on that they don't know about.  Please pray that we don't get to that point.  She has been feeling good though and looks great. Her coloring has been beautiful and we have had a pretty uneventful couple of weeks.  We are thankful that she will be feeling good again all week and especially on Christmas.  We are praying for a very special Christmas for our peanuts.  Jim and I got a little extra this year for them since they've been through so much. 

Although our clinic visit wasn't 'bad' it was overall a very emotionally draining day for us.  I had to fight back tears the whole way home.  Sometimes the reality that we will be making these trips for the next 2 + years is hard to accept.  Jim always has off on Abbey's clinic day, but then usually only has one other day a week off so it made me sad yesterday as I was thinking about how hard it is to spend one of his two days a week off at the hospital.  He had to go back to work this morning and it hardly felt like he was off.  The police department has been wonderful though and very flexible with his schedule so we are truly thankful for that.  He has been able to change his days off so he can have clinic days off and he was supposed to be on afternoon shift for Jan. and Feb., but they are allowing him to be on day shift for those months.  That is a huge praise so I am trying to focus on these things.  After six months, her treatments will be much less intensive and the doctor actually said the kids forget his name those last two years of maintenance.  That's hard to believe, but yesterday I had to keep telling myself that this isn't forever.  We know this is a chapter in our lives and someday we will look back and it will all be over.  Please pray for us to get back on track next week and for them to be able to start the next phase so we can get these first six months behind us.  Also, please keep praying that she wouldn't be sick from the one new chemo that she will be starting in the next phase.  Thank you much....