Surgery scheduled

E's surgery is set for friday, 11/30. We will get all of the details on 11/26 when we meet with the surgeon. Exciting and a little scary all at the same time!

Bribes Work (usually)

We headed to Brenner’s today for blood work. The typical check 10 days after treatment to make sure her counts are okay. On the way to the hospital, she asked, “When can I go back to school? All of my slugs are gone!” We talked about how her body had to recover. That she will start feeling better and getting her numbers (weight) up. Then she’ll be able to go back. Seemed to appease her for the time being. We are so lucky she loves her school and her school friends so much! 

The actual visit was mostly uneventful. She was quiet and "unhappy" as we entered the parking deck. And she let everyone know she didn't like having her finger pricked but MUCH easier before and after than it has been. Maybe she is getting used to it. Maybe since it isn’t going to be so often from here on out she is accepting it. Or MAYBE it is because, as a bribe, I downloaded the $4 Minnie Bow Maker App that she’s been begging me to purchase. Either way – a better visit! 

Our next trip will be on 11/26 – abdominal scans, pre-op visit with the surgeon and “off therapy” consult with the oncologists.

Wish Kid

Last night was the Walk for Wishes at Tanglewood Park to raise money for Make A Wish. Nahna and I made yellow scarves and yellow blankets (gold is the color for childhood cancer awareness) and ironed on little ladybugs for our team. "Evelyn's Team" was Nahna, me, Audrey, Evelyn, Treffrey, Molly, Amy, Cheri, Rob, Charlie and Charlie's grandparents. 

It was a very fun yet very emotional evening. It hit me harder than I thought it would. We never thought we would be there as a family being granted a wish. We were surrounded by families telling their stories -- surrounded by people who had either lost their children to a terrible illness or came too close to losing them. E knew we were there to celebrate her beating her slugs. I will always be glad she never understood what those slugs could have done to her.

When we got there, E got to sign her name on a banner and write down her wish. She made a great "E" and I helped her do the rest.

There was a lot of great entertainment - a bouncy house, cotton candy, music playing, several booths. E and Molly had so much fun running around and being silly girls.

Audrey, Nahna, me and E

Molly, E and Charlie (so busy. too hard to stop and pose!)

E and Audrey

Cotton Candy!!!!

All of the wish kids were called to the stage to tell their name and their wish. E and only one other kid were "waiting" for their wish. E wants to go to "fairytale land" (Disney). The other kids had been granted their wishes. 

They all received special medals in the shape of a star that read "Wish Kid."

Off we went to see the lights. Molly and E laughed and laughed the entire way.

At the end, the road was lined with posters honoring the teams. This was Evelyn's poster!

I think we are meeting with our wish grantors in the next week or two! 

Walk for Wishes

Evelyn is being granted a wish by Make A Wish! Knowing she will have a special wish granted at the end of all of this has been very exciting for her. There is a walk on Saturday through Tanglewood Park's Festival of Lights to raise money for the organization. 

Come walk with us! Sign up to join "Evelyn's Team" at the following link:
http://walkforwishestriad.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1024629

Or donate to Make a Wish here:
http://walkforwishestriad.kintera.org/faf/r.asp?t=4&i=1024629&u=1024629-363404122&e=6221435428

Feeling Better

E is feeling better. She even went to play in the playroom for a little while. So far, this has been a much milder weekend than in the past. That last slug was too weak too fight too hard :) Thank you for all your prayers as we push through this last treatment weekend.

Treatment #14, The Last One!

It is with a huge since of relief and amazement at the strength of my daughter that I say - We have finished chemotherapy. Today was Evelyn's last treatment. Last night, around 10pm, E was too wound up to sleep, she said, "I have ONE slug left and tomorrow we are going to get rid of him!" That's right baby girl!

Aunt NuNu (my youngest sister) went with us today. Aunt Kathryn, my middle sister, has a birthday today. E's last treatment is a great way to celebrate a birthday!

It was a long morning but we filled the time with fun activities. We checked in and got E's numbers. She is 32 1/2 lbs, which is great. Dr McClain popped in to praise her for coming so far. As usual, he said, "Wow, she hasn't lost her hair." Nurse Karen accessed her port to get Mr Red to send off to the lab (a traumatic event), and then we went to paint. E loves to paint. Then, we made 2 pillowcases (one for her and one for me). She put the fabric over her head and said "whoooooo". Then would take it off and say, "It's only Evelyn!"The same ladies who were there for E's first trip to the clinic where there today for her last treatment. It was like coming full circle. 

She collected a lot of stickers today - all over her clothes, mine and daddies. After her treatment, she picked out a special purple heart bead to put on her Beads of Courage symbolizing the completion of her treatment. She was very proud of it. She got to pick out a toy from the BIG toy box - a baby giraffe. Several of the nurses clapped for her - This took her by surprise! It was really sweet. 

E was most excited to show NuNu the cafeteria. Then we went home for a special surprise - a little Jasmine doll and castle. We have been trying to find that doll since treatment started! She has been introduced to the other princesses and they are getting along well.

We go back in 10 days for blood work. Then on 11/26 for scans and to meet with the surgeon for her pre-op! She's decided she wants to keep her port once Dr Turner takes it out. A lot of the kids make them into bracelets. (We'll see...)

The rest of the weekend may be tough, but we are taking a great deal of comfort in knowing it is the last weekend of its kind!

It is finally here...

Evelyn's last chemo treatment is tomorrow! It is hard to believe how much we have been through in 19 weeks. How much our lives have been forever changed.

Every time I look at her, even when it is in frustration, I am so thankful she is here for me to look at, hug, kiss and put in time out. To think, at the beach, we had thought the bump was, worst case, a hernia...