This week has seen Peyton slow down quite a bit. We've been so blessed to have her in good health and good spirits throughout her treatment (steroid phase..we choose to pretend that time just didn't happen) and so when she seemed to get white as a ghost and was tiring so quickly I called the clinic and took her in for a blood count. I was fully expecting her to need a transfusion which peps her right up, but while her counts are on the way down, they weren't down enough to account for the way she's been feeling.
For just a little while there it was easy to take for granted that she might be lucky to feel great throughout treatment, she wouldn't get all sickly. But the fact of the matter is, we're putting amazingly harsh chemicals in her body, and it can only take so much before it gets worn down. Her slow down is just her medication doing it's work and it, simply put, reallllllly stinks!
She goes in for chemo treatment tomorrow, she gets two IV medications, methotrexate and vincristine and we'll also see if we think she needs blood before the weekend. She has to go back in Monday for her peg asperiginaise, which is her painful double leg shot, so if she can hold out over the weekend then they'll probably do it Monday. I'd prefer they do blood on Friday because we have a great weekend full of fun stuff planned and I'd really like for her to feel good throughout the festivities.
Friday night we're going to have box suite seats to the Tampa Bay Lightening vs. Islanders game, courtesy of the Children's Cancer Center. There should be lots of families and the Powells, Adelaine's family will be there as well, so we're looking forward to a good time.
Saturday we received tickets for the famiy to go to the Wiggles concert from the Children's Cancer Center, as well. Now, I have to tell you, Nathaniel was doing his absolute best to "take one for the team" in regards to this concert. We get a box suite again, so we can enjoy the show with the least amount of exposure to the large crowd, and it should be a grand time for the girls. But Nathaniel..not so much. In fact, when I asked him if he was ok to go, he says to me," Well, I know this is a family thing and I'll go because we're a family, but it's the Wiggles, Mom!" What a sweet kid, willing to go suffer for his little sister's enjoyment…and as much as I'd love to have all the kids with me, I just can't make him do it. I can honestly say if I had a choice, the Wiggles wouldn't be my concert of preference…but these are the sacrifices we make….childbirth, stretchmarks, Wiggles concerts. So, Nathaniel's skipping out and a friend's daughter is going to use his ticket. It all works out and he's grateful beyond all belief.
So, as we approach this busy weekend, pray that Peyton is able to enjoy these events and that her health holds up. Pray for a good family time for us, for this opportunity to be with other families and for blessings for the wonderful people who've provided these chances for our kids to have outings and entertainment we couldn't provide on our own.
Please keep my friend Karen in your prayers as she is still on a ventilator at Tampa General Hospital. She is getting treatment for a fever she has due to pneumonia and she has a rapid heartrate that is a continued worry. I pray for God's will and strength to be with her, and her entire family as they cope with this situation. I pray that God will provide peace and comfort each step of the way for Mark and Nick. God does amazing things, the very fact that Karen exists is proof of that, so we just continue to pray for more amazing gifts from God in her life.
For those who've prayed and kept Kaylie in your thoughts, those wonderful prayers have gone to good use. She's doing so much better, her mother Tisha says that she's pooping and eating (hey, we all take our small joys, right?) and her intestinal blockage has gone away on it's own without the need for surgery. Praise God!! Kaylie and Tisha are still hoping to go home soon, they will administer her chemo and if all goes well Tisha said in possibly 3-4 days after they can go home.
We are so blessed to have the support from our friends, family, church, school and even kind-hearted strangers on the street. We are thankful for the gifts we are given every day in the form of compassion, prayer, love and encouragement. Thank you so much to all who've been here each step of the way with us.
F.R.O.G….fully relying on God
Anissa
