Sunday, September 13, 2009

Abbey Update

Abbey is doing good. Her cold was very mild and her body fought this cold off much better than the last one. We were at clinic Friday for her monthly dose of chemo through her port and for an overall check up. Her numbers looked pretty good. They were lower than they were after they went way up, but still in the normal range that they want them to be. She is right now on her 5 days of steroids for the month so I always can't wait for them to be done. She is handling them well, but they are still one of the yuckiest parts of her treatment.

The last couple months, we've noticed some side effects from her vincristine (which is the chemo that she gets in her port once a month). It is common for this chemo to cause her reflexes to be off some and she is having a hard time picking up the front of her feet when she walks. Today she fell two times when she was running because she tripped over her toes. It's very sad for us to see her struggling to run and although it doesn't hurt her, it just feels weird for her. It will wear off over the next week and it isn't a lasting effect, but one that is very frustrating when she's trying to be a normal 4 year old.

Her MRI is scheduled for October 9th to see if the residue from the clot in her brain is completely gone. Please pray that there is no sign of it and that they will tell us to stop her two shots a day. We are sooo ready to be done with them! A quick story about yesterday... Yesterday morning was Jacob and Micah's well check appointments (Jacob's 6 year and Micah's 18 month) and they both had to get the flu shot and Micah a couple others. Jim was working so I took all the kids to the appointment. Well when Jacob found out he was getting a shot he got upset and started crying. I then looked over at Abbey and she too was crying. I assured her that she wasn't getting any shots and she said "I know Mommy. I just don't want Jacob and Micah to have to get them." She is so compassionate and I love her heart. This poor girl has been getting 2 shots everyday for the last five months and she was so upset for her brothers.

We have been really careful again with taking her in public much as cold and flu season is right around the corner. We are trying to do just outside activities when we leave the house. Today Jim worked and I took the kids to a fall festival. There were pony rides, a hay ride, a hay maze, crafts for the kids and a petting zoo. There weren't that many people there so they got to ride the ponies several times and there was no wait for anything. I took this picture of the kids while we were there today so I thought I'd share :)

Hope you all had a great weekend and thanks for checking in :)


4 comments:

Bekky said...

Shelly, it is so good that everyone is doing so well. I love the compassion Abbey has for others. Something you do not see too much at that age. What a sweet and amazing family you have.

Love you guys...
~Bekky

Angela F. said...

You've got amazing children, Shelly! It's so wonderful that they care so much for each other and are so close. I'm glad Abbey is doing so well, too! You guys are great parents, and I'm so inspired by your faith through all of this!

JudyB said...

I have got to learn not to read these at work ! They make me cry for both happy reasons ( the compassion your children have for one another)and sad (there are constant concerns and worries for you ) but also helps me keep things in perspective on what is really important in life. So thank you Shelley !!!your messages ae so eye opening and a blessing. We truly love you and your family !

Cindy Bailey said...

Shelley, it's so nice to hear that Abbey is doing well and over her cold. She's such a special little girl, and after reading how she cried for her brothers due to them having to have an injection...it shows how compassionate and caring that she is.Maybe once she's grown up she'll become a nurse or maybe even a Dr.

The picture of the three is adorable. Glad you were able to have some fun together! We're coming into a beautiful time of the year. I'll be keeping the prayers going and hope that the clot is GONE when Abbey has her MRI. Thanks for the update! God Bless!~