1st day of school as a 1st grader!

Can you believe I am a 1st grader?  Wow!  I love my new teacher….love all of the friends in my class….love my classroom (I got to see it a little early) and I slept extra good last night with my magic confetti.  Oh…and did I tell you that we have a gumball machine in my classroom?  That just might be the coolest thing I have ever seen at school!
 

 

 

the wise wizard

All you need lies inside of you…..
~The Wizard of Oz

My last clinic visit was full of laughs, siliness, rainbow looms,  hugs, a visit from my brother and sister,  and of course, chemo. My counts are good….ANC is 1800 and doc tells my Mom that if they are high again, they will increase my 6 MP chemo dosage to the full amount (100%).
I also am back on the steroid this week but hoping I can get through it without too much yuckiness.  I think the Wizard was right when he said "all you need lies inside of you".  I try to gather up all of my courage, my kind heart, and all of my smarts to help me get through these tough treatment times.   It is certainly no walk in the park but I know I can get through it.  I always do.
 

patiently waiting.....

To say I have been waiting awhile to get my ears pierced is an understatement.  My big sis got her ears pierced last summer and I have wanted to ever since.  Nurse Kathy at clinic (love her) has been telling me to be patient and after I started maintenance AND my counts stayed up, she would give me the green light. So, guess what?  She gave me the green light at our last clinic visit!  Woo!  Hoo!  So, now no more "pretend, light up stick, big hoop earrings"!  I have my very own…and they are real!  So happy :)
 

 

smooth sailing

I think I may have finally reached the point in my treatment where I feel pretty darn good!  Yes, there are always those icky side effects from the different types of chemo/steroids I have to take every day like joint pain, tummy pain, and all over kind of pain…but nothing that a little Tylenol doesn't fix.  Love that stuff.  I have been off the steroid for a week and I think my family will probably tell you that it is the best I had ever tolerated it.  That sure is a big word.  So, maybe my body is really getting used to maintenance and all of it's loveliness?
 

Hello Fairies!!

I was lucky enough to spend a fun filled, exciting, and very interesting week at "Forest Fairies" camp at the Morton Arboretum.  On the last day, we got to show off our fairy houses (and other accessories) and even play some fairy tag with our families.  Super duper fun!  Love the fairies!


 

 

 

 

news flash

Have you heard th news?  Well, the docs have put me on 100% of one of my oral chemos that I take once a week.  Mom wasn't really happy they were trying to change the dose yet again but so far….so good.  I don't go back to clinic for another two weeks and then we will find out if the increase in the methotrexate has let my counts go down again.  The docs hope not and maybe what they said is right.  Maybe my body really just needed some time to adjust and get used to these chemo pills that I take at home.  Only time will tell…..
Next up…my nightly chemo pill dosage (aka…6 MP)…will it go up or stay the same?
I promise to keep you posted.
 

feeling better

My week of being on steroids is over (until next month) and I am feeling a lot better.  As you can see, I love being in the pool (Mom says I may have been a fish in another life)…. :) and am back on track.
 

marvelous middle

If you know me pretty well, you know that I love my brother and sister but most importantly, I love….love….love….being the "middle child".  People laugh at me when I tell them but I really do think it is the neatest and even asked to have my dining room chair moved at home and my carseat, too, to be right in the middle of Claire and Blake.  They are really nice and patient with me when I get upset or am not feeling too good because of all of the chemo/meds that I have to take.  And we have a lot of fun together, too!
 

 

 

 

silly steroid

I made it through my monthly steroid burst….it is never fun and I always feel pretty icky when I am on it but sometimes I can get a little silly, too.  What do you think of my new fashion accessory?
 

vacation is over

Well, sadly, my vaction is over and it is back to clinic (and reality) today.  Today is a big medicine day for me with a spinal tap with methotrexate (chemo) injected into my spinal fluid.  I will also have vincristine in my port and to top it off….I start my monthly steroid burst (5 very long days) today.  Let's just say I will be doing a lot of this  (below) over the next day or so.  Hopefully I will still be smiling, too, even though I probably won't be feeling too hot.
Wish me luck…..I think I will need it.
 

the wonderful world of Oz

A fun time with my playgroup friends celebrating my birthday.... dressing up as one of my favorite characters, laughing, acting silly, playing with bubbles, and forgetting about all of the medical stuff that is going on with me. What an amazing day!

coolest Dad ever

Well, today is my Dad's birthday and I really do feel like the luckiest girl in the world because I have such an awesome Dad.  He even started letting me drive the boat!
Happy Birthday Daddy!
 

Diamonds are a girl's best friend

I loved every second of my dance recital and being up on the big stage at the Paramount Theater in front of all of those people was exciting!

what a difference a year makes

So, this was me last 4th of July….feeling really yucky, losing my hair, and sleeping almost the whole week when we were up at the lake.  It was not a fun time for me.

And look at me this year!  I am feeling much better (although not always terrific), my hair is back, and curly….and pretty darn cute... and I am not sleeping all of the time.
What a difference….and what an awesome change!

 

visiting Great Grandma Ruby

It was a special trip, indeed! And look how far I have come since Great Grandma Ruby and Great Aunt Kathy came to visit me last year...