Monday, January 28, 2013

Staying Busy

Apologies for the long delay since my last post.  Keeping up with our daily life has been as much as I can handle.

We went in for the second dose of chemo on Friday.  It was a very long day in the hospital, followed by an additional appointment at the clinic across the street.  Scarlett was basically perfect all day.  She handled the chemo beautifully, stayed reasonably calm while trapped in a hospital bed for 6 hours, and then self-entertained while we waited 45 minutes for the GI doctor.  She was only briefly sick that night, but she felt good enough to crawl straight out the doggie door for the first time.  By Saturday morning, she was feeling great and has been since.

Scarlett with her necklace and her doll all dressed up for chemo.

Playing in the mirror while we wait for the doctor.
The best news of the day was from the much-delayed GI and nutritionist: don't change anything.  Scarlett is growing perfectly (just crossing over 25 pounds), and they are 100% supportive of our homemade blended diet for her g-tube.  We even taught the nutritionist a thing or two about how we feed Scarlett away from home using baby food pouches - a clean and easy solution to our busy schedule.  It has been nearly a year since we last met with a nutritionist, so we were prepared for some suggestions.  It is such a relief to leave a clinic with no changes to our routine - a very rare event!

Last week, we needed a distraction, so we went on an adventure.  Since we all had a day off from school, we decided to visit the San Francisco Zoo.  It was a gorgeous day, sunny and warm.  After seeing all the animals, we headed across the street to the beach (yes - probably one of very few places you can see giraffes, gorillas and the Pacific Ocean within a few steps.)  The sunshine was a welcome change for us all, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.  I especially enjoyed playing with my new camera.










We have some difficult days here and there, letting the unknown creep in on us.  It's hard to keep pushing past it, but I don't really have any choice.  I can't wait to feel some kind of relief, some little sign that things really might be okay for more than a few days.  Until then, just one foot in front of the other. 

6 comments:

child of God said...

How wonderful that Scarlett is tolerating the chemo so well. Continuing to pray and pray seeking 100% health here on earth.

Your day trip looked like a lot of fun.

Blessings,
<><

Julee said...

You have lots of support! Just keep going, you are doing a GREAT job!!! I continue to pray.

Unknown said...

I have followed your blog for quite some time now but have never commented. You are such an inspiration as a family. I can only imagine how hard this is on you all and for you to share it with all of us is just wonderful. I am sure there are a lot more people pulling for your little lady than you think!! It seems that you and your husband are such wonderful parents. Your photos are always filled with smiles. Although I know that your days are not always like that, it is nice that you still show Scarlett how wonderful life can be. Praying for you all and enjoying ready.

-From Missouri :)

Kate said...

Thank you for the update!! I am relieved that Scarlett is doing so well. She is such a beautiful little girl, and she is always in my prayers. I cannot imagine how stressful the uncertainty is, but you are amazing parents. Thanks for sharing the photos of Scarlett at the zoo and beach.

Lisa Jack said...

I haven't checked in with your sweet family in a couple of months. I am sad that you are once again facing this evil monster.
You are all in my prayers. Your sweet girl is a joy to watch and I can't wait to watch her tackle this giant once again.
All our love & prayers.
The Jack Family

MC said...

So great to hear she's been tolerating it well! She's fierce and will kick cancer's butt!
She's so beautiful! Love the beach pictures!
Hugs from PA!