Hump Day

We started our Tuesday at the clinic for a fingerpoke and counts. Her numbers came back great.

ANC – 2600 (normal is 1400-7400)
HGB – 12.6 (normal is 11.5-14.5)
Platelets – 239 (normal is 150-450)

So, she rocked this week!! It meant a lot to me to get those good numbers back, to have some concrete evidence in my hands that she’s staying stable and where she should be. It helps me focus on the positive progress she’s making through her treatment.

Is it insensitive to be so happy that Peyton’s counts are good? There’s both relief and guilt in that news. My happiness is offset by the reality that my wonderful friends, whose children have fought just as hard, whose kids have done everything their bodies can to fight off this disease, are seeing treatment fail them. I just continue to pray for each and every one of them, that God provides the healing power that only he can and I believe in being very specific in prayer, so I let him know that my preference would be healing HERE! Please keep lifting all the families in prayers, strength and peace are in high demand these days.

I’m not sure exactly what I did that rubbed her the wrong way, but yesterday at Little Tales Peyton looked at me and said, “Don’t make me spank you!” Did my preschooler just threaten me with corporal punishment? Oh yes she did! She cracks me up, that one.

She took quite a fall on the playground there, showing me with the most pitiful expression her poor knees that were all scraped up. However, she failed to realize that the most alarming injury was the one to her face where her left cheek was all red, puffy and roughed up from it’s meeting with the pavement. I guess if she can’t see it, it doesn’t hurt. My mistake, because as soon as I mentioned it she threw herself into full abused child mode.

This was the topper. Last July, we had Peyton’s fundraiser and at it, there was a large bounce-house. She loved it and spent a large part of the morning in it. Unfortunately, at one point when she was on the way out some kid bounced really hard and catapulted her high into the air, after which she landed face first into the concrete. The screaming was horrific, there was bleeding and she had a terrible bruise for months.

So, last night, all the kids are tucked away in bed and, I thought, asleep. Slappity slappity….the sound of Peyton’s feet on the tile….here she comes. I watch her walk into the kitchen and then she brings me something. It’s a refrigerator magnet from the company that we got the bounce-house from. Why we still have it on our fridge? I have no idea. Apparently to serve as a harsh reminder that gravity is a cruel mistress.

She points to the little picture and says to me, “Do you remember when I fell out of the bounce house?”

“Yes, I remember.”

“I get hurt a lot.”

Kid, that’s twice in a year, I remember when you used to kamikaze dive off the couch on weekly basis…on purpose…consider yourself lucky to be in one piece!

I’m in the middle of running around like a crazy person…how is that different than normal you might ask…well, this is all in preparation for our big Spring Break trip! There is just so much stuff that has to be done and taken care of and we haven’t gone on any trips for this amount of time since Peyton was diagnosed, so I’m a little out of practice.

But it all goes on hold because tomorrow is “All About Nathaniel Day!” Thanks to Shannon at the CCC, who offered Nathaniel a fantastic opportunity, he and I get to go off and spent what is going to be a wow-fan-tacular (I just made that up) day. The girls are off spending the night with Grandma and will be dropped off at dreary old school tomorrow while Nathaniel and I get up early and head to Busch Gardens!! He’s skipping the day of classes and we are going so that he can be one of the first to experience their new and exciting new Jungala ride. He gets to then give a “reporter” style evaluation of it and ride until he pukes. They’re providing food and good times! You know that’s all we need to show up.

Then in the evening we’re heading to the CCC for American Idol night. There’s karaoke, there’s food, there’s singing and dancing….does it get any better? For the parents there is also some special guests coming to talk to the group, they’ve arranged for some families to come in who’ve been through treatment, relapse and are now doing great. I know I need to hear that and I think it’s going to do a lot of good in raising some spirits. Then after the parent group thing is over we get to go down and have the kids “compete” with the songs they’ve been practicing while we’re gone. It should be hysterical!

If you’re a golfer or are married to one, consider spending some time on the greens with for a GREAT cause. Sherry Tucker’s foundation, Giving Hope Through Faith is having it’s annual Zach Tucker Golf Scramble on April 18th. The GHTF foundation has had a huge impact on the families coping with pediatric cancer in the Tampa area, and has grown in both it’s ability to provide financial assistance and it’s need for more funding to help the many families hoping to receive help. This golf tournament is their big fundraising event of the year and brings in a lot of the money that goes right back out in aid to the families. If you can be a part of the event, I guarantee that you will be touched beyond belief by what the Tucker family is accomplishing through their strong faith and their loving memory of Zach.

f.r.o.G…fully relying on God
–Anissa