Week 10

We are home, after the start of our fourth round of chemo.  Ten weeks in, the time has went fast.  First I would like to thank all those who help in many different ways.  We appreciate your friendship.  Today I met a new family who just got told their daughter has cancer.  She is 22 months old.  I was introduced by another set of parents, Marty and Emily.  I think they are the official welcoming team(just joking).  This young couple were so helpful to us when Chey was first diagnosed.  Marty was a real help to David and took him on a tour, showed him the Ronald McDonald Room(coffee and snacks) and took him to get a parking pass(or as we call it-our time share).  Their little guy, Griffin has the same type of cancer as Chey, and they love to play nurse together with their beloved Nancy(child life specialist) in clinic.


This is a picture from before she started chemo-with Nancy and Griffin



Here is the link to an article on the Gazing Balls that his Grandma Jane makes.  Grandma Jane comes to clinic every week and all the kids love her.  Shes always trying to make them laugh.

Chey did quite well this week.  She was admitted thursday night and had her big chemo doses yesterday.  She is starting to feel more at home when in the hopsital.  Yesterday she had one of her favorite nurses, and she even let the nurses put the meds in her NG tube(huge milestone for us).  Her neutrophils(immunity) weren't as high as normal on Thursday, which means she will probably be neutropenic faster this time.  Today haemoglobin was low so we have to back Tuesday for more bloodwork, as well as Friday for her regular clinic visit.  On the bright side, she doesn't have any of the vincristine(small chemo) this round, so it should give her a couple weeks to have a break.  In the coming weeks she has an MRI and CT scan(both sedated).  Please pray that she will have comfort for these tests.  She gets very anxious about 'sleepy' medicine.



Week 9

Cheyenne had her week 9 treatment yesterday.  it is getting a little easier with each appointment.  She still does not like finger poke, but it is necessary and so there is no alternative.  Her counts are slowly creeping up; however, she is still neutropenic.  Again this week she helped the nurse to access her port and push through her meds.  Cheyenne is really seeing the benefit of the chemo now as we can visually see size differences in her bump from week to week.
She is still getting her feeds throughout the nights.  We seem to have gotten a few faulty feed bags in our last set of supplies and what a mess! 
Cheyenne is still eating, but is does fluctuate up and down.
She is due in clinic again on Thursday for blood count and if all is well then we will proceed with her Round 4.

Week 8

There has been such a change with Cheyenne over the past week.  A change for good.  After she got home from the hospital, her energy has continued to pick up, and her appetite has increased.  She is still hooked up to NG feeds during the night, and then gets up and grazes all day.  She didn't have very many taste aversions this round.  Her new favorite food is cheezwhiz sandwiches (that she makes her self).  We were able to go to the beach for a couple hours on monday.  The kids had a blast! 



Cheyenne and Grandma



 The kids have also spent alot more time outdoors this week.  The cooler weather has made such a difference.



On the trampoline





Hitching a ride



Resting on the grass with Daddy

 Today Cheyenne went in for her outpatient chemo and fingerpoke.  She is neutropenic, so we will be sticking around home for awhile.  We were nice and early so we were seen pretty quickly and out by 10.

Thank you also for your prayers for my brother-in-law, Roy.  He had a 5 way bypass heart surgery on tuesday.  He is recovering well.

We are home

Hello all,  Cheyenne was discharged this afternoon.  She was admitted thursday night and she settled in.  She seemed to really have alot of energy and so we spent quite a bit of time doing crafts and playing.  Usually she curls up in her quilt and watchs TV.  Up until yesterday evening she didn't have any complaints and then around bedtime she complained of nausea.  But she was so good about it, actually I find it rather humorous because she has figured out how to breathe through it and if you had your back turned to her you would think you were on the labour and delivery.  This morning she woke up sick and up came the NG tube.  She tried to convince David that she didn't need it put back in, and she would eat and drink and even take her medicine in her mouth if we didn't put it back in.  When that angle didn't work, she informed the nurse that if she was getting it put in then she wanted that nurse to do it. 
Last night though the night she spiked a fever, and her heart started racing so they hooked her up to the monitors.  By this morning her heart rate was normal and temperature was good, so they said that she could come home.

Tonight Cheyenne was still quite perky and requested to go see Uncle Roy.  Roy is awaiting quadruple bypass surgery in the coming week.  She climbed up on the bed and was inspecting his 'sticky' heart monitors and all the leads.  Over the past week she has been giving him advice.

• Don't worry Uncle Roy, the nurses are nice, you just have to do what they tell you and take your medicine too.
• Mom, we better buy him a balloon(she gets one when she does overnight stays) it would make him feel better and help him be happy.

Please keep Roy, Sarah and family(7y,5y,2y,1week) in your prayers. 

On to Cycle 3

This morning Cheyenne had her bloodwork done and her physical assessment also.  Her body has done a great job of rebounding and her bloodwork was awesome.  She was admitted tonight and will be receiving her chemo tomorrow. 
Today on the way to Cheyenne's appointment we were listening to her Steve Green CD.  One of the songs is based on Psalm 139 verse 13&14.

For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.

This song really made me stop and think about how intricate our bodies are and how if one thing is out of sync it effects so many other things.  This is so noticable as she gets her chemo treatments and her bloodwork changes accordingly.  It can sometimes be mind boggling thinking about how many things they are monitoring for (heart, kidney, liver, etc) and yet we all take it for granted and go on oblivious to the precise detail of our body .  To know that God has created us as such intricate beings makes me feel so small, so helpless, and yet so loved.   To know that he hears my pleas, can be so humbling.

We are very thankful for all the family, friends and neighbours who have been so helpful and caring in so many different ways.  Thank you for continually bringing our little girl before the Great Physician in prayer. 

Home-july 29

We are home, and still neutropenic, so having to be extremely cautious and watchful of the fever returning.  As of yet they do not know the cause of the fever.  Cheyenne goes back to the clinic on Thursday.  She will have her bloodwork done and depending on the results, will let us know whether or not she will be admitted Thursday night to start her third round of chemo.  Please pray that her blood count will increase so that she can start her next round of chemo as scheduled.

week 6- A fever

Well, we almost made it through this chemo cycle without an unexpected hospital stay.  Wednesday Cheyenne was so perky, was up and about feeling herself.  She spent some time outdoors playing.  Then yesterday she slept alot, and lounged about.  When she asked me for her medicine early and wanted to be hooked up to her feed early so that she could go to bed I knew something was up.  I took her temperature and realized she had a good fever going on.  So we came down to emerg last night. They told us within half an hour that they would be moving her upstairs, but they had some bed changes to make.  We still aren't quite sure whats going on.  So far all that we know from her bloodwork is that she is neutropenic(this means a private room).   They are culturing her blood to see if they can find the source of the fever(infection).  Cheyenne has quickly made herself at home, Cassidy too.  I'm glad they have each other for company, it takes Cheyenne's mind off of herself.
Until Cheyenne has been fever free for 48 hours they won't discuss discharge, and if her blood culture is positive then it would mean a longer stay.  At present she is on IV antibiotics, and she has received her chemotherapy for today.  On the bright side, I was able to go upstairs and visit my adorable new nephew, Brantley, and my sister Sarah.
Thank you so much for keeping our family in your prayers.