Home

We are home and we are happy!  We got home yesterday afternoon.  These last couple weeks have been crazy and exhausting, haven't they?!  

So first, how is Abbey doing?  She is doing better today.  She has been more active today and is eating a little better.  Her appetite has been pretty non-existent since Friday, but today it seems a little better.  She hasn't complained of a headache all day and the nausea is gone.  She has been loving on Micah since we got home and her and Jacob have jumped right back into being best buds.  

We really think that ARA-C chemo that she had to get four days in a row last week (and will also get 4 more days starting this Thursday) is what makes her sick to her stomach and not want to eat.  It is so nice to have her needle out (she had it in from Thursday through Monday) and to give her body this few day break from that ARA-C.  I gave her a really good bath yesterday when we got home and plan to give her one everyday until she has to get accessed again.

I don't think we told you all the drama that we had last week with her being accessed at home and the home health care nurses coming to our house, but she had to be accessed three days in a row (which means they had to keep putting a big needle in her chest) and it wasn't fun.  She does way better then me and sits still and doesn't get too upset, but it was really frustrating b/c the whole point of leaving her accessed for four days is so the nurse could just come to our house each day, give her the chemo and then leave with no poking or pain.  Well, for some reason we had two 'faulty' needles in a row and each day they had to re-access her.  We are throwing around the possibility of having this next round of ARA-C given by shot, but are not sure which will be easier for her.  She will either need to have her needle in again for 4 days in a row and I will be stressed each time the nurse comes here or she will get a quick poke and then it will be over with, but that too would be four days in a row.  We are going to talk more with our nurse practitioner about it later today by phone to weigh our options.  I think we would do the shot for sure if she wasn't already getting poked twice a day from her lovenox for the blood clot.  Three shots a day will be a lot, but that needle in when we're home is no fun either... we'll see.

And how are we doing?  When Abbey bounces back quickly, so do we.  Our minds have been put to ease as far as her headaches.  It was great news yesterday when the doctors told us that the blood flow around the clot is better (they weren't expecting that this soon) so for that we are truly thankful.  Also, the eye doctor saw some swelling in her eyes when they first found the clot and after her exam on Sunday, they no longer see the swelling so that is a huge praise!

I asked Abbey if she was feeling better today and she spread her arms out wide and said "I'm feeling this much better mommy."  My eyes filled with tears as I was reminded of how amazing this kid is.  She goes through so much, yet she keeps bouncing back.  

One week from today we will be completely done with Delayed Intensification!  We are so excited for this phase to be almost over and for maintenance to be right around the corner.  We can't wait for her to consistently be feeling good and for her to stop getting hit so hard with all these tough medications.  We are almost there!

Thanks again to you all!  As always, your encouragement and prayers are a huge blessing to us!