The frantic schedule of a cancer family!

Yesterday and today were such a blur….nothing big, just lots of it.

Once Peyton’s eyesight was resumed….yes, I know, I should have been a doctor….life pretty much resumed as normal. We ran errands and tried to get caught up on some of the little things that took a back seat to Relay preparations…..things like dishes, laundry and the scary thing that is my floor.

Today, Peyton and I went to Wal-mart and bought some brand spanking new, cool as all get out, really super duper awesome panties! And when we got home I took them out of the package and Peyton was so excited to hold them and see them and love them…and then I dropped the bomb that I was taking her diapers/pull-ups away except when she’s sleeping. She gave me on of her serious looks….the one that says “I think maybe you’re off your meds again, Mom”…and threw herself on the floor to roll around and cry about wanting her pull-ups.

“I want my diapers!”

“No, you’re a big girl now, and big girls go pee pee in the potty. Remember what a good job you did the other day?”

“I NEED my diapers!!!”

“No, Peyton, we bought the pretty new big girl panties so that you can learn to wear panties instead of the diapers.”

“But I don’t looooove the panties!”

“I really don’t looooove the diapers either.”

“But I do.”

So, I won this round! Panties stayed on and she managed to potty 3 times and have 3 accidents. 50/50…not a bad average I guess for the first day in panties full time. It’s a better average than most baseball players, so I’ll take it.

I had really thought Peyton was doing better with her leg issues. She hasn't had her last two scheduled doses of Vincristine, although she is scheduled to get one Monday. Her limp, to my eye, has improved and she hasn't been falling down as frequently. But tonight may have proven me all wrong on that account. She had a couple of those knee buckling falls and then her biggy was when she was walking down the stairs of the Children's Cancer Center and her legs just gave out completely. She took a header down the stairs and I grabbed her by the thigh, catching her with her head just about an inch and a half from the tile floor. She was so freaked out, I was a little shook up myself and she had the nerve to get really ticked off for hurting her leg. She'll probably have a nice little hand print on her thigh tomorrow, but better that than a skull jaring head injury.

Tonight was the Children’s Cancer Center oncology support group. Peter had to work til 9 so I took the kids and went. All three kids took off the minute we hit the door, off to do crafts and eat and play. I went with the parents only to find out….last minute…with hair in pigtails and not a smidge of makeup in sight…that we’re all participating in the making of a video for the Mike Alstott Foundation. And guess who walks in? Yes! Mr. Mike Alstott himself. Again, with the hair in pigtails (functional, not fashionable) and shiny nose and all. But he and his wife were there to help in making a video for his foundation that is putting on a celebrity softball tournament on the 26th, all proceeds going to benefit the Children’s Cancer Center….ok, how awesome is that?

All the parents were asked to speak about their child and what the CCC means to them. The answers were all a little different, the stories varied, but the underlying theme was always the same. Cancer stinks and we find a family of support and encouragement in the CCC, not just the Center itself, but in the families we meet, the kids our kids play with and in the overall feeling of camaraderie that we share. I got my chance to tell a little about Peyton and to share what an amazing impact the CCC has had in helping our family cope with cancer, as a family and individually. We are so thankful that this wonderful group has become a part of our lives. We all agreed that we didn’t want to meet this way and if we had our choice we’d prefer to make friends the old fashion way, but if we’re going to go through cancer, there are no better people than these to help us along the way. However, I could have said all this with a pretty top, hair brushed and styled and a nice face of makeup. Brandy Fishman and I agreed that as tired as some of us looked, we could definitely work the sympathy card!

And let me just say, Mike Alstott is a fabulously nice guy! We have a painting that was donated by Pete’s boss, it is a gorgeous picture of…Mike Alstott. We tried our hardest to find a way to get Mike to autograph it before Relay so that we could auction it. My dad ended up winning the painting and gifted it back to Peter…thanks, Dad, you’re awesome….and now we’re going to get it autographed and probably donate it back to another auction for next year! I’d love to keep that picture, but I just think of all the bids it would bring in and the great use of the money and I can’t help but think it can do more good than hanging on our wall.

Side note…Peyton got to share this big news with Mike Alstott…”I made stinkies in my panties!” Ahhhh, nothing quite like the adoration of a die hard fan.

So…check this out. This is our schedule thanks to our clinic and the CCC….you gotta love this!! Yeah, it sound good, but remember, you gotta get cancer to get perks like this!!

4/20
Charity Golf Scramble from the family of Zach Tucker, it will raise money for the Giving Hope Through Faith organization. I’m taking Peyton so that they can introduce her at the kickoff. (Nathaniel also has Math Olympics tomorrow, so everyone pray for a fantastic day for him. He’s been preparing for this for months and we’re so excited for him. Pete is going to go with him, as I’m not sure that Peyton can take a full day in Ft. Myers)

Then in the evening we’re going to Relay for Life at Grecco Middle school to support the efforts there and our friend Nikki Hawkins (one of the beautiful magazine cover kids) at her job as honorary chairman of this Relay.

THEEEENNNN, we’re heading back to Brandon to visit Relay for Life at Brandon High School….we’re not spending the night anywhere but home, my friends!

4/21
There is an Extreme Extravaganza in the morning to benefit the CCC and we’re going to enjoy food, games, crafts and silent auction.

Then in the evening we’re going to a Tampa Yankees baseball game with a bunch of families from the CCC.

4/26
We have the Mike Alstott Foundation Celebrity Softball game, we encourage you all to come out! This is benefiting the Children’s Cancer Center, it starts at 5PM, it’s at the Bright House Networks Field in Clearwater. There’s going to be tons of NFL players, fun stuff to do and see and it’s all for a fantastic cause. The most expensive seat is , so please, if you have nothing else planned, come hang with us!

4/27
We’re going to support Relay for Life at Riverview High School, where our good friend and neighbor Greg "The Greg" Wynn is supporting a team.

4/28
We’re going to a Tampa Yankees game again

4/29
We’re going to Tampa Bay Storm arena football game with the Powell family! It was so much fun the first time and we’re really looking forward to a second game.

5/11
Angela Powell and I are taking Rachael, Peyton and Adelaine to see “Disney on Ice” at the St. Pete Times Forum.

I’m sporting so many tickets right now I could make a career as a professional scalper! But the buyers all have to sit with a bunch of cute cancer kids and pretend to look sick so they didn't get booted out. So I think we’ll just keep them and have the fun ourselves!

There was news about a little girl in our community who’s been battling Ewings Sarcoma for over 4 years now. Taylor Arrington is a fantastic and brave little girl with a family full of love. Her past week has gone steadily downhill and she was released today from the hospital under the care of 24/7 hospice care. It broke my heart, usually that’s just a phrase people throw around, but I literally felt pain, to think of this family and the loss they’re facing. I just pray for comfort and peace as the family goes through this final stage with Taylor, but I rejoice in the knowledge that she will be God, pain and cancer-free. She will be loved, remembered, missed and cherished forever. Although all kids who have lost a sibling to cancer forever mourn their sister or brother, Taylor has a twin sister Jordan and I know this will be especially hard on her because of that extra special bond they share.

f.r.o.G…fully relying on God
—Anissa

ps…Tonight, my truck took a really long time to decide to start on me. That sort of worries me. Sooo…just pray that whatever is wrong is minor…as you can see, I don't have time for lengthy car repairs!