Vacation Recap - Part 1

Our trip to FL was tiring but went smoothly. We were thrilled to be able to carry all our luggage on and not have to pay extra fees. We even got in a bit early! The kids enjoyed flying, although Lyndsey was nervous during the descent. She held my hand so we wouldn't fall out! She also noticed that when the plane takes off, it goes as fast as Daddy's car! We discovered that Ethan does not nap on planes until he can't possibly hold his eyes open. I had to lull him to sleep back near the engines, bouncing him and swaying. Anderson really enjoyed looking out the window but did not enjoy carting our stuff through the airports. However, when we were renting the car, we met a passenger with a parrot. That was very cool; he told us a lot about it. (It was in a cat carrier, minus the cat.)
We spent he first few days of our vacation in South Pasedena at a condo. It was very nice and allowed us (me) to wind down a bit from all the pre-vacation hoopla and the traveling. I was quite tired and took a lot of naps. The pool was really nice. The kids loved going between the pool and the hot tub - gluttons for punishment, I think. Ethan really liked the water - his first real time in a pool/lake! He laid right back and floated in his life vest. He was very relaxed!

Anderson came down with the flu the morning before we were supposed to leave for Orlando, throwing up and all. Lyndsey also got it. I was praying that the rest of us wouldn't catch it! I had no idea what we were going to do if we were sick the next day. Fortunately, God stopped the flu, and although Bob and I had our moments of not feeling great, we never got sick. (Poor Courtney did the night before they were headed to Orlando!)

Doctor's appt.

Today we had a double doctor's appt. It was Lyndsey's 4-year well-check and a follow-up appt. for Ethan (from the pneumonia/ear infections).
Lyndsey is doing great. She is 39 pounds and 42 inches tall (just tall enough for some of the Disney rides!). That translates to 90-95% in height and 70-90% for weight. She can do things with her hands that are beyond "normal" for her age group, and she peed in a cup! She needed 3 shots and did SUPERBLY! We prayed about it twice last night and once this morning, but I have to say that I was floored with her calmness throughout the whole process. She didn't even whimper! I couldn't believe it (especially since she's still quite tired from yesterday and our last shot experience was horrific - I had even begged Bob to bring her to this dr. appt.)! We are very excited about this major "accomplishment" for Lyndsey, how she saw God take care of her needs and help her.
Ethan is much better from the pneumonia - clear lungs. He still has fluid in 1 ear, so we'll return to the doctor's at the end of May, just to make sure that it goes away. Both kids still have a junky cough, but the dr. says it will eventually go away. This stuff hangs on pretty good.
By the way, Anderson also had a major accomplishment today - his first school concert. He did not want to do it, but he did such a good job singing with the other kids. He did not look like he enjoyed it (reminded me SO much of Jason when he used to have to sing), but he survived. 8) He was very energetic afterwards, so it didn't drain him too much! We were especially happy that Grammie C was able to come too...so special!

Home Sweet Home!

You might have wondered why you haven't seen any blog entries for a while. We've been on vacation for 3 weeks! It was great, just what we needed! In the next week or so, I will be blogging about it. In the meantime, this is the adventure of today.

We got up nice and early (as planned) to pack the last bit of our stuff (or should I say that Bob the master packer worked at cramming more clothes and stuff into already full suitcases in an attempt to carry everything on the plane and avoid checked baggage fees?). We left the hotel on-time, which is amazing for us. We got to the airport at a decent time, although certainly not with "plenty of time to spare". Does this surprise you? (All I could think of was my business travel with Alice and how she would keep me in the realm of time to spare. 8) ) Then, the adventure began. The signage was horrible. "All terminals this way" really meant "you could get to all terminals this way but you'll have to walk a mile in and out of buildings". We didn't discover this until, after asking an airport employee who directed us to keep going the direction we were headed, we came to the END of the terminal and no AirTran. Come to find out, we needed a different terminal, and the shuttle to get to it was across the airport thoroughfare. So, "you can't get there from here". This meant trucking all the way back the length of the terminal, down the elevator and out the door to the shuttle stop. We waited a LONG 5-10 minutes for the shuttle to arrive (by this time, we were 1/2 hour from departure and had not checked in nor gone through security) and unloaded everybody and everything to get our 3 children, 4 suitcases, 3 car seats, 3 backpacks, double stroller, an x-ray and 2 misc. bags onto the shuttle. When we arrived at the correct terminal, we found out that we could have just taken a shuttle from the car rental drop-off directly to the terminal. AGGGH!! The kids were WAY worn out as they were shlepping stuff too, I was sweating and breathless between walk/running and trying to motivate the kids to not dawdle, and we were once again hustling the length of the entire terminal to get to our carrier. (At this point, Bob was also double-loaded as Lyndsey couldn't handle anymore.)

I wanted to get so frustrated, but God showed me the teachable moment. I was able to talk with the kids about my having a choice about the kind of attitude I'd have about all this. I could be frustrated and angry because it was a lot harder than it needed to be and we were in danger of missing the plane, or I could give it to God and just try to maintain a good attitude. (Anderson, especially, has been struggling with getting upset about things/deciding they're "boring" or not good enough, etc., when the situation looks more like he's choosing to look at the negative over the positive. I wouldn't say that he's pessimistic in general, but we've been seeing a lot more pessimistic tendencies lately. Hopefully, it's just a phase as life is much easier/more enjoyable when the glass is half full rather than half empty.) So, God used Anderson's struggles to help keep my attitude and perspective in check.

When we got to the terminal, the airline employee said she didn't know if she'd be able to log us in. The computer let her, and we were instructed to run. Ha, ha. Through airport security with 3 kids, 4 suitcases, ... you get the point. Everybody's shoes had to come off, and I had to be hand-wanded due to my metal hip. It was insane, but we got through and RAN to the gate. When we arrived, the airline employee was NOT happy to see us with all our stuff. The others were very nice, and we got everything tagged for under the plane (car seats and stroller), suitcases and children onto the plane, and everybody seated with NO time to spare. (Our seats weren't together, so Bob and I really had to divide and conquer. I felt like an exhausted, crazy lady, and Ethan was complaining because of how I had to carry him. Poor kid.) Fortunately, the woman that Anderson, Ethan, and I shared a row with was very understanding and encouraging. She and I had a great conversation during the 2 hour flight where I didn't have any of the entertainment/food that I had packed for the kids since our bags had been put in any bin where there was space. We managed though. That was the first leg.

At the end of the first leg, Lyndsey and Ethan fell asleep. Bob had to wake Lyndsey up, and she was NOT a happy camper. She wouldn't follow him off the plane because she wanted to be carried, so I had to go back to herd her out. That was just the beginning. I won't go into details, but the bottom line is that Bob and I were beside ourselves trying to get everybody and everything onto the second plane. Anderson was extremely cooperative, and we were SO thankful. He responded well to pretending that we were race cars in a race. I was the commentator in the rear calling out the progress of race car Anderson, and yes, he did make it to the lead. I honestly wondered if we were going to make it getting everything to the gate and onto the plane. God got us there though. The next thing was for Him to show us how to parent Lyndsey as she was in hysterics by this point. Once I got the snacks out, I realized that part of the problem might have been hunger. It was past lunch time, and the kids just kept eating and eating. This doesn't provide an excuse, but I did learn that when you need cooperation in a very timely manner, make sure their bellies are reasonably full. It sets you up for success rather than providing another thing they have to overcome. Lesson learned. Fortunately, everybody's mood/attitude improved. Thank You, God, for helping us make it to Boston...whew.

Grammie C. met us at the airport. We were all very happy to see her, especially the kids. No problem cooperating now! 8) It was cute to see Anderson and Lyndsey excited to tell her stories about what had happened since we saw her 1.5 weeks ago. Of course, one of the first things they exclaimed was, "We almost missed the plane!" Yep, ratted out every time. 8)
We actually reached home around 5 and at right away. Bob did a lot of unpacking, and I worked on groceries and childcare. I'm pleased with what we've accomplished tonight, although there is still LOTS to do over the next few days.

Ethan

Just wanted to let you know that Ethan is quite sick. Basically, it seems that he has been sick for the entire month of March, one thing right after another. He's cutting at least 3 teeth, so that has probably lowered his immunities. Yesterday, the dr. diagnosed him with pneumonia and a double ear infection. Poor guy! He's pretty miserable, but we have seen a slight improvement since he started the nebulizer treatments and the antibiotic. We heard his first non-crying sounds ("talking") last night, the first time in days as Bob pointed out. I'm hoping we'll see great improvements tomorrow.

Bounce House

Tonight was a lot of fun. We had a family night at church. There was a bounce house to keep the kids occupied while the parents heard a speaker. Afterwards, I went in the bounce house. It was great!!! I think that part of the reason that it was so much fun is that it was hard for me to keep my balance (kind of like when I was a kid). It was an EXCELLENT workout for my hip, and I had so much fun bouncing and falling with Anderson and Lyndsey. Ethan even played with us in there a little bit (and Bob too). I think that Lyndsey enjoyed playing in there with me the most; we held hands and bounced and fell...giggle, giggle, giggle. It was a great time and one I'll always treasure in the "great memories" section of my brain. It's kind of neat to see that my hip replacement helped me to actually have MORE fun than the average adult. Go figure!!

One year ago...

Well, today is the anniversary of my hip surgery to remove the cancer. I cannot believe that a year has passed. I find myself thinking a lot about all the things that I'm thankful for that people gave, said, did over the last year. God went above and beyond through so many different people; I am still amazed.

Have we returned to "normal life" yet? Sort of, I guess. Things are very busy, especially with my 5 days/week of appts related to physical recovery. That is taking its toll, especially on the kids, but we will persevere. It definitely is helping me physically. I'm again running up and down the stairs to get out the door "sort of" on time. I can lift Ethan off the floor with ease and carry him around the house. I've even wrestled a bit with Anderson and given Lyndsey a piggy back ride. I don't have hip pain, although all my muscles are usually sore due to all the "new" use and regeneration that is happening. My limp is still there but definitely improving. I also have arm muscles again (small, but they are there)! I'm building up endurance (cardio-wise) and my balance has improved tremendously. My hair is growing well...I actually had my first haircut today! It's been over a year since I've had my hair done, and boy, was that nice! Even though my hair is very short, I felt quite girly, which is something I've struggled with. It has been very helpful having eyelashes and eyebrows again. I won't take it for granted being able to wear mascara!

I really need to get to bed. If you think of it, pray for the kids. I think that things are starting to catch up with them, and my leaving for appointments usually leads to tears for them. It's hard.

Ethan turned 1!!

I can't believe it! My precious preemie is 1 year old, and there isn't anything preemie about him. He's actually more "sturdy" in his physique than either of the other kids. He's walking with coaxing, determining that he has eating/drinking preferences (drinks can't be too cold, doesn't care for carrots, won't eat what he is given when he sees something on the table that he prefers), using sign language, expresses frustration with Lyndsey (sort of like a cry for help from Mumma), claps, jumps on the trampoline, etc. We had a "friends" birthday last Thursday (Winnie the Pooh cake - photo below), and we'll have his "family" party this Saturday (Tigger cake). He definitely loves cake!

Crazy storm

Amazingly, we didn't lose power at all. The wind here was INCREDIBLE, but we'd had Dad cut the dead/dying trees last year. So, we fared wonderful well. I'm so thankful as many people lost power for quite a while. Mom and Dad, Jason and Dawn, and Beth Anne were all without power for days.
Ethan had trouble sleeping during the storm. I think that the wind kept waking him up (it sounded like a freight train!), and then he'd cry and cry. Finally, after a few tries of putting him back to sleep, we realized that maybe he was a bit scared too. So, we put him in bed with me while Bob was working on my closet. (Woohoo!) Ethan can't sleep all cuddled up, so I just leaned my head against his. That seemed to do the trick as he fell soundly asleep. Hours later, Bob put Ethan back in his own bed and reclaimed his side of our bed.

Ethan

We've had some great Ethan moments lately. Last weekend was his baby dedication, a very special day for him as well as us. For us, it's a time to formally ask for help in raising Ethan to love and serve God. He is God's child, and we want to remember our purpose in the time that we have with him.
This weekend, Ethan started walking! He has taken a step here and there, but now it's a few steps in a row. He still definitely prefers crawling, but that won't last too long.
Ethan also had his first drink of cow's milk. He really liked it; it's the first time I've seen him try to drink from his sippee cup independently. We'll see how it settles with his system. 8)

Valentine's Day

I realized that Bob's and my last "normal" date was Valentine's Day 2009. I was in considerable pain but managed to enjoy the steak at Texas Roadhouse. How far we've come since a year ago! We had a good Valentine's Day 2010 - even danced! It was very hard for me to shift my weight on and off my "bad hip", but it was well worth the effort. I look forward to dancing easily again, and it will come.

This was the first time I went out without something covering my head. It felt very strange, and a bit daring, but I soon forgot I was sporting a short 'do. I definitely was happy to have my Lyndsey "baby earrings" to spruce things up. I'm getting a styling "trim" this week and am really looking forward to it. As Grampa used to say, "It's touching my ears" (implying that it's time for a trim).

Hayden has arrived!

Many of you have probably already heard, but Hayden Daniel Covill has finally arrived! He was born at 11:52 on Feb. 3 at a nice 7.5 pounds. We are so excited that this long-awaited gift from God has finally come!!! The kids couldn't see him (except through a window) due to the hospital rules, but I got to hold him! He even opened his eyes and looked at me!

Anderson was acting a bit odd about seeing Hayden, but I later realized that he didn't know what to make of my (and others in the family) being so wound up over Hayden's arrival. My Mom, ever the wise one, suggested that maybe he was feeling a bit jealous or displaced or something. So, we started talking about what his and Hayden's relationship might be like - whether Hayden will laugh histerically at him like Ethan does. This seemed to help matters. We have yet to spend any time with Hayden as a family since Ethan was very sick last week, so we'll see how the kids react to that. I will also try to tone it down a bit. 8)

By the way, Ethan is a lot better now. He still has a yucky cough, but the antibiotics seem to be helping. The dr. thought that maybe he was trying to come down with pneumonia. The nebulizer also helped significantly. I'm so glad that the high fevers are gone (his temp. peaked at 105.7 on Thursday...so scary but definitely a time to remember that he is God's child)! He's still a bit tired but acting MUCH more like himself. And so far, none of the rest of us seem to be getting sick.

Christmas Photo

Here is one of my favorite photos from this Christmas. It was so great to spend time with Dan as it had been a whole year since we last saw him. This was also the first time that he met Ethan. I just loved watching him play with the kids; they think he's GREAT! It's funny because we had a waiter at Friendly's (back in November) named Dan. We went back to Friendly's this week, and Anderson remembered him (mentioned it as he saw Dan across the room). It's because he had associated him with Uncle Dan. Awww! (Lyndsey kept wanting to call him "Uncle Dan" because in her mind, there is no other Dan except her uncle. This guy must have the same exact name too!)

I am also very pleased to notice that I look very different now from when this photo was taken. Woohoo! I have eyelashes and eyebrows!! My hair is also a lot longer. I'm actually getting ready to book my first haircut (actually a hair "shape"). I actually wake up with bed head, and get hat head, now! My nails are still a wreck though. I'm getting close to where my toenails will have completely grown out the "chemo toe nail". I hadn't realized how gross they looked because Aunt Carol (and Beth Anne) did such a good job keeping those nails painted! God provided in even the small things.

January

We've been trying to slow it down but not so successfully. With appts. every day Mon.-Fri., life feels very busy. God has blessed us with a babysitter that comes 3 days/week to feed the kids lunch and put them down for naps while I'm at the Wellness Program. Mom still comes 1 day/week, which is the day when I try to schedule all the random appts. and have physical therapy. She also catches me up on cleaning and such. It's exciting to see that lately she's not having to do as much. Although she always finds stuff to do, it's nice that she can be "Grammie" more too, doing crafts and playing. My other day of p.t. is in early evening so Bob is home with the kids. I am making great progress physically, gaining strength daily. I still have quite a way to go, but it's still very encouraging.

Lyndsey has kept me laughing. She was playing Grammie. She told me that her dolls were her grandchildren, but she calls them "Grand". What a hoot! Another time, Lyndsey and I were talking in the van on the way to Bible study this morning. Lyndsey asked me why we have cold, warm, and hot water in our homes. I asked her why she thinks we do. This question was a bit much for her, so I decided to break it down. "What do we use cold water for?" I asked. (I was thinking she might say "to drink" or "to brush our teeth".) Her response, "To wash with when we pee in our undies". HA! HA! HA! (For those of you who might have forgotten, Lyndsey's peeing in her undies was way out of hand, so her consequence was a cold bum washing to clean her up. She had figured out that if she turned on the water, it wasn't so bad since she could make it just cool. Well, I one-upped her [this time] and would run the water on cold to make sure that it was frigid. This deterred her and she's doing much better. Apparently, it made an impression!) If you're curious about her other answers, they were "to wash things" for the hot water and "fix things" [like wetting hair to comb it] for the warm water. Here's a photo of what I found 1 day - she had taken my baby carrier from where it was packed and utilized it for her big baby doll. Of course, 1 baby is never enough so she had the other one slung over her shoulder. The glasses are crazy ones she got from Anderson's teacher. (Lyndsey has made a friend.)

Christmas

Oh what a great Christmas that we had!!!!! It was wonderful celebrating our Savior's birth together as a family. Lyndsey seemed to have a greater level of understanding as she could really appreciate Jesus being a baby. I found her playing Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus with her dolls. It was really precious.

We were able to go to Pittsburg! It was wonderful - being with the whole family (Dan was home from CO). We saw many cousins and their families, which was great! Below is a photo of me, Ryan, and Jen. We actually got to hang out with them and their families (and parents!) twice over Christmas break. What a treat!

I've also attached some photos of our Christmas at home. Lyndsey got a microphone for Christmas (what were we thinking!). She has been playing church ever since.

Ethan received a big truck that he really liked. He wasn't into opening presents much this year, but he certainly liked being on the floor with the family. He's crawling around and very fast! We had a nice day with Bob's parents and brother and his family as well. It was great seeing how much Aidan has changed and watching him interact with the kids.

What was my favorite Christmas present besides being with family? Bob bought me a piece of "baby jewelry"...a beautiful aquamarine pendant on a rose gold chain. It's very unique, and I really like it.

December

We did surprisingly well in December, in spite of all the extra preparations for Christmas. I had a lot of fun shopping for gifts to buy for loved ones (thanks to Mom and Diane C.!), both because I was able to be "out" and also to be able to give back. We tried not to book too much with the kids, to have the season be a bit more laid back. It's always tough, and I'm not sure if we succeeded or not. Bob and the kids got sick (hard cold), but once again, God spared me from it. My physical stamina is very low, but I'm seeing progress. I'm continually amazed at some of the things I can do. One fun event this month was going to Anderson's classroom to make gingerbread houses. I helped the kids, and Lyndsey was able to also make her own gingerbread house. Fun was had by all! Here's a photo of Anderson eating his house.

Catching Up

OK. It's been way too long since I have blogged. Here goes...

We're all doing really while, in spite of Ethan and Anderson having colds. We're hoping the rest of us don't catch it! We are enjoying the Holiday season in spite of its busyness and trying not to pack too much in. We've enjoyed a Christmas party at Bob's work (photo attached) and a potluck with friends. The month has also been exciting with Dawn's baby shower, Ethan learning to crawl and pull up on things, Lyndsey's enjoyment of the Christmas music (you should see her dance!), snow, Anderson getting ready to lose his 4th tooth, and the kids experiencing ice skating for the first time.

Last weekend, Bob and I went to Boston for a set of CT scans, doctor's appointments, and the removal of my port. All went very well. It was great to see some of my nurses again (quick visit) as well as my doctors, and the results of the CT scans were good. We stayed overnight in Boston at a friend's place and enjoyed dinner in the North end. (I'm sure we were quite the sight, walking in the rain while I caned and Bob held the umbrella for both of us. How romantic!) Getting the port out was the last thing on the "to do" list, and although it took longer than expected (they used me to teach a resident...a little disconcerting since I was awake for the whole thing!), I was amazed at how good I felt afterwards. I was expecially surprised at how I felt emotionally - I felt "whole" again. I hadn't thought that the port bothered me too much, but it sure was nice not having it in my body anymore, nothing extra (besides the steel femur that I'm happy to keep).

After all the appointments on Monday, we WALKED from MGH to the Cheesecake Factory (at least a mile) and had a DELICIOUS dinner. It was the first meal in its entirety where I could taste (and fully enjoy) everything! Woohoo!!! My tastebuds aren't all the way back, but this is huge progress. What a blessing to have such a great meal with Bob!

OK, enough for now. I'll write more later.

November "highs"

Well, the last half of the month has been fabulous. My energy is improving, and it is so good to not have to be going back to the hospital for overnights anymore. I don't really know what daily life will look like yet, but we are getting that much closer. The Holidays are always so crazy anyway that I don't think we'll really begin to adapt until we begin 2010. I guess that it's nice in that it might be more gradual, perhaps a bit easier for us.
The Thanks Giving Celebration was wonderful. Thank you to the many of you who have sent me notes about it. I really appreciate them.
Thanksgiving was just as good as I dreamed it would be. We kicked it off with going to Dave, Jill, and Aiden's for dinner (Bob's brother and family). Mom and Gerry were there as well as Jill's parents. It was a very comfortable evening with lots of entertainment thanks to Aiden, Ethan, and Lyndsey. The food was yummy and I could actually taste it! I think my favorite part was Jill's cinnamin rolls...Mmmmm! We headed for Pittsburg at 9:00 and got there by midnight. The next few days were filled with family and fun. It was so good to be back; it felt so normal and familiar. We got a lot of snow and had an adventure with losing the electricity for 19 hours. It was a visit we won't forget! The kids made snowmen with Daddy, Grammie, and Aunt Dawn. Ethan crawled for the first time on Saturday. (Now he's a little man on the move.) The only thing that kept me from crying over leaving was knowing that we'll be back up North in a few weeks for Christmas. Eleven full months being away was way too long.
I started physical therapy a few weeks ago and am already seeing progress. It will be a long process as there is so much to do, but I'm encouraged to know that I'm headed in the direction of walking without a limp (maybe by my birthday?). Right now, the biggest challenge is making the time to do my exercises. We've got to develop a family routine that will help me fit it in. God will help us figure it out.

Thanks Giving Celebration Update

My body is so sore from all the standing, but my heart is so full. It was a wonderful evening, in spite of technical difficulties. 8) My reaction to all of this made me realize one area where God has changed me through this experience. My "type A" side of me would have been disappointed, and maybe a little bit stressed, that everything didn't flow seamlessly. However, it did not bother me at all. Praise God! (Less stress is always a good thing - for myself and those who are around me, especially Bob.) The trials of the flexibility required for chemo treatment gave me lots of practice letting go. It's not like I have control over many things anyway, but I think that sometimes there is an illusion of having control. Not so much during the last 11 months! So, I will pray about not reverting back to old ways as I know that can happen as the trial is more a part of the past.
We will try to post pictures some time soon. Also, we have a copy of the slide show, and Luke/Tris videotaped the celebration. If any of that is something you'd like to see, just let me know. Of course, I'd be happy to share it. Tris and Luke and also going to put together a "final project" that documents our journey in a more complete way. (Thank you so much, guys!) It won't be ready for a while, but I know that it will be worth the wait. So, I won't put people on the spot by asking if they want to see these things. (OK, I'll probably put a few people on the spot, like my brother Dan, but I'll try not to!) You can talk to me about it. 8)
Time to bust the boys out of bed so we can get to church. (Of course, Ethan is already up.) I'm amazed at how richly blessed I am from the celebration when all I was trying to do was give back as a token of thanks. God is like that. 8)

Update

Well, I was feeling totally exhausted Thurs. and Fri., like I'd been run over by a truck. It was very hard to go back to that place, but I am so thankful that God kept reminding me that He is in control. He also reminded me that this is so close to the end, to have patience.
I was so wiped out that I went to the Dover hospital thinking I needed a blood transfusion. I was so sure of it. However, my "young" bone marrow is holding its own and bringing back the red blood cell count. Praise God! So basically, it was the chemo kicking my butt. Because this was a different treatment (all of 1 drug in 1 day instead of over 2 days), it was tough to know what was what. And, my doctor kept reminding me not to push too hard. What?! Me push too hard? I was relieved to know that I was doing what I should, having my blood checked, instead of wondering what my problem was. 8)
I noticed that even though I was only gone for part of the day, the time away from the kids (with me at the hospital) was hard on them. They're behaviors (Anderson's and Lyndsey's) were so different, but I think they were stressed out. After all, we had already celebrated the end of chemo. I'm sure it's hard to understand. We're back together again though, and there's lots of cuddles.

Last Chemo Session

The day went surprisingly quickly. I was very happy to be able to say good-bye to many of my nurses before I started in with my appointments. We got a nice photo too. Hopefully, some of them might be able to come to our celebration, but distance and work shifts might prove problematic. We'll see!
My appt. with Dr. Choy went well. We've worked out the details of the future plans. In Dec., I'll have a chest, abdominal, and a pelvic CAT scans as well as a bone scan. They'll also take my port out if everything looks good, which we're expecting. Part of the reason for the scans is so that there is a baseline for future scans (every 3 months for the first 2 years and then every 6 months through year 5). Some of the scans can happen in Dover, but December's appts. will be in Boston.
The chemo went well, much faster than normal since it was a full dose of only 1 drug (adriamycin, the one that gets hand-pushed in). We weren't sure how my body would be affected considering that it was twice as much adriamycin at one time (rather than being administered over 2 days). This drug will not impact my kidneys, which are still a little bit revved up but on the higher side of normal. They're coming back down to normal, slowly but surely. We did find out that my red blood cell count is quite low. This might mean a blood transfusion at the end of the week. Dr. Choy said to watch the symptoms.
Aunt Carol and I got back around 8 Monday night. Lyndsey was sound asleep, but the boys were still awake. Ethan greeted me by putting his hand on my cheek and leaving it there. It was so sweet. He just kept his hand there, and when I'd start to move, he'd hold on to keep me there. (All the while drinking his bottle while in Daddy's arms) Although Ethan has done things kind of similar in the past, this was a first. When I went up to kiss Anderson good-night, he was obviously excited to have me home. Lots of hugs and kisses and things to talk about. It was really cute.
So, I'm glad to be home. I'm trying to take it easy and not overdo it. I know that poor choices could lead to nausea, in spite of the anti-nausea drugs I'm taking for the first few days post-chemo. I'm praying that my hair won't fall out again. It's actually making progress! I know that if it does, it will be OK, but I also know that God cares about my wants as well as my needs. We'll see what happens!