Chemo has started again!

Woo hoo! Bella's counts were finally good enough to start chemo on Monday! I am trying not to dwell on the fact that we are now 2 weeks behind and if we hadn't had a chemo hold we would be finding out the results of remission this time next week. Monday was a long long day. We got to the clinic at 9:30 and didn't leave POTC till 5:30. She had a chemo called cyclophosphamide that is administered over a half hour but can damage your organs so an hour of hydration before and 4 hours after is needed. She didn't even receive the chemo until 1pm because we couldn't get her urine to the right number. It's very hard to tell a 2 (almost 3) year old to pee on command! But we made it. And we also learned that Bella's primary doctor had her babies. She had twins last Saturday. On Wednesday sister Gabbi had an appointment to get all her shots. 4 total including the Flu shot. This is the 1st year any of us got flu shots so I was a little skeptical but we all handled it well. Gabbi gave us a little scare Wednesday night after jumping off her sisters toddler bed, hitting her head with mine and then proceeding to vomit. The nurse on call said to take her in if she vomits more than twice or is favoring one side more than the other or any other neurological type issue. Luckily we had no other issues and I'm pretty her shots caused it. Its not the 1st time she has thrown up after her shots. 

Little Sis before shots

Thursday we had another appointment for our monthly Ivig. All went well and no reactions. Its actually very common for kids to get a reaction so they pre-medicate to be proactive and hope they don't get one. So far all has been good with Bella's health. We still are having some butt issues so she is permanently on antibiotics to stop anymore infections down there. The more medicine she takes the more crap she gets. I have to bribe her to take all the medicine she is taking except for the oral chemo. That she takes with no issues. Go figure right! She could be eating me out of house and home with all the pet shop toys that she loves the most! I pretty much have created a toy closet just like they have at the hospital but of course she only wants the good stuff, she is a smart cookie!



Luckily no more fevers and nothing else going on. She lost almost 2 pounds over the last 2 weeks but during this phase of chemo she surprisingly eats a lot. And she isn't even on steroids. So hopefully she won't lose any more for a while. Along with lots of eating she has been doing lots of playing (and NO sleeping) with Gabbi. They have been having tea parties, sleep overs, (but again NO sleeping) wagon rides and going down the slide. Its so good to see her playing like a kid rather than just lying around in pain.

Having their tea/mashed banana party!

 She also has been losing a lot of hair. She now has lost almost all of it in the front. But the back is still pretty full. Tuesday is Bella's birthday, so we decided after her birthday we will be shaving her head. It's just time. It's everywhere. In our bed, the bath, the couch, her clothes. Not sure how the shaving part is going to go for any of us. When I ask her about it, sometimes she says yes and other times she gets really upset and says no. I'm sure all of us are going to be very emotional. It's just another sign that she is sick and different then other kids :(

Little trouble makers!

I usually try to keep this blog pretty positive, for my sake and everyone else's but sometimes I just need to let it out. Sometimes I find myself reading blogs about other kids with cancer. Not always the same type as Bella's but some type of childhood cancer. I find myself reading the saddest ones. Where the kids don't make it. It's like I am trying to prepare myself for the worse and the what ifs. Like I said I know it's best to be positive and not dwell on those what if's but it is hard. Really hard.  A lot of the blogs started out like mine. Really good odds and in the end they don't make it. Some kids have Bone Marrow Transplants and again I find myself wondering if we are headed down that road. Some kids relapse. Years after they are supposedly "cured." And then they have to do this whole grueling process over again. How do you not worry. Even after these 3 years. It can always come back. But we are all gonna pray and hope that this isn't the case with Bella. But I can guarantee all these other parents were thinking the same thing...Ok end of sad blog.

Tuesday is Bella's 3rd birthday. To say she is a little excited is under stating it. She talks about it everyday. For the longest time all she wanted was a Hello Kitty Birthday party and some Hello Kitty earrings. But since a recent visit to the store she has changed her mind to a Princess Birthday party. She even made me buy Princess plates, cups and napkins. I was first telling everyone NO gifts but have since changed my mind. This is the 1st birthday where she actually knows what is going on so its not exactly fair to say no presents, especially since we won't be having a birthday party anytime soon. I've already purchased the Hello Kitty earrings, as well as a few other things. And I plan on getting Cinderella! It comes on sale on her birthday and she has never seen it. She will be so excited. She knows exactly who Cinderella is just hasn't seen the movie.



If any of you missed the previous Scentsy fundraising party or maybe want to purchase something else, during the whole month of October there is a fundraising party where 25% of sales will be donated to Bella. Please fill free to share with your friends and family. The link is www.melytotaan.scentsy.us

"Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail." ~Lamentations 3:22