Today was good news. As good of news as we could hope for considering our circumstances. Doctor wouldn't say 100% recovery, because they don't say that in this business. He did say high 90s%.
In a few weeks, we will get back a genetic test. The results could move her from low risk to standard risk and would result in 25 weeks (vs. 19) of treatment and would add another drug to her chemo. But we are hoping we won't have to worry about that. Positive thinking. That has gotten us this far and we are going to keep holding on to it.
On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being lowest) for chemo treatments, her side effects will be about a three. The treatments are all out patient - in and out in about an hour or so. Most are once a week. As we get (much) further along, they space out a week or two at a time. One drug has the naseau/vomitting side effect. She will get naseau medicine. And that will be a side effect the day of treatments. The other is hair loss, constipation, loss of feeling/tingling in her legs, jaw, etc. All reversible. This will build as the treatment progresses. The big issue is liver damage but she will be closely monitored and her doses will be low.
The day of surgery, Evelyn, daddy and I were trying to guess what her "bump" was that the doctors were going to remove - a pickle, a roly poly, a rock... Well, today, as we talked to E about what was going on we decided the "bump" (tumor) was a big nasty slug. And, the slug might have babies. SO, we have to get some more medicine and come back to the hospital a bit more to make sure we get rid of ALL of the slugs so she will be better. She understood enough for now. She still doesn't want to look at her incision but that is ok. All will come with time.
Right now, we are thankful the week has continued to progress with good news. If she has to have cancer, then it looks like is definitely a very treatable one with as few side effects as could be.
This is good news. God is working in this situation and has it all under control. Remember all of this was in God's Plan and He plans to use these experiences to shape your family's future. :)
ReplyDeleteI was looking back over some of my old comments from the past month and I came across a comment that Ms. Shannon had posted when I was out with my Dad, that made me remember some of the sweet things Miss Evelyn said to me during those hard times. I wanted to share it with you because I hope it will bring a smile to your faces.
When Shannon picked Xavier up from school that day, Evelyn had came to her asking where I was and that she missed me. A few days later, I received her card in the mail where she had drawn what she told me was my Daddy in heaven along with her Piper in heaven too.
The first day that I came back to work, I was fixing lunch for all of the kids and Evelyn was sitting patiently at her table and in a matter of factly way said to me, "Miss Merry, your Daddy isn't sick anymore, right? He is with Jesus now." To hear those words come out of a 3 year old little girl, was just about all I could do to keep it together! :)
Evelyn is such a sweet girl with a VERY big heart. She has shown compassion to me as well as to all of her friends at school. But I just wanted to let you know that it meant the world to me at the time, and even more so now.
We will continue to keep Evelyn and you and your family in our thoughts and prayers throughout the coming weeks and can't wait to see her smiling face at school again soon!