Just go with it

Despite all the medications, Mollie was still feeling sick yesterday. But this morning, she woke feeling okay and ready to go to school. So off she went. It was also Lucy's first day in a nursery school program, so I was really looking forward to a couple of hours to myself.

Ha, ha, ha. Not so! The school nurse called and said that Mollie was extremely dizzy and pale. So, off I went to pick her up. At first, I was extremely concerned, but after thinking about what the causes might be (she may have a virus, an ear infection, and she's taking some really strong antibiotics) and seeing that Mollie didn't appear to be scared or in pain, I decided to just bring her home and let her nap for a while. She felt better after the nap, but she has been a little subdued ever since. It is so hard to determine what is serious and what isn't with Mollie. And she knows it, which makes it even harder, because she uses it against us.

She ended up perking up enough to want to go to her Daisy scouts meeting. She enjoyed the meeting and even played in the park afterward. She is pretty worn out now, so she'll be heading to bed early tonight and hoping for an uneventful day tomorrow.

In this crazy life of ours, we just don't know what the day is going to bring. It's hard to make plans, because we never know when we'll have to cancel. The weeks when we have the most activities scheduled are invariably the weeks that Mollie is not feeling well. We signed her up for a creek exploration program at a local nature park. It meets every other week and Mollie as not made it to one meeting yet! If it's not a clinic day, then she's been sick. It's frustrating for me because I paid for it and really want her to get the experience, but I know her health is the priority. I just want so much for her to have the "normal" childhood experiences.

We will be participating in the Light the Night Walk this weekend. Last year Mollie was on steroids and a lot of chemo, but she still walked the whole way! We hope (fingers crossed) that she will be feeling better for this year's walk. We'll also be bringing the wagon to tow Lucy- I'm sure she could walk to whole way but we need to keep her strapped in so she doesn't run off! Many of our friends from clinic will be there, and we are looking forward to walking with them. Please donate to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society at our Team Homepage.

Fever.... To Clinic... Then Home

Hangin' out in clinic...


Last night, Mollie seemed exhausted and mother's intuition told me she was coming down with something. We checked her temperature several times and no fever, but she went to bed without eating much dinner at all. She was coughing all night long and woke this morning complaining of aches and pains and vomiting. By the time we got to clinic, her temp was 102!

But, her ANC was 2500, so she didn't have to be admitted to the hospital. She received rocephin (an antibiotic) and fluids in clinic and they sent her home on an oral antibiotic.

So, Mollie is glad because she gets a pass on the flu shot until next month. They can't give it to her right after she's had a fever because it might mask a reaction, but they also have to time it so that it is exactly between steroid pulses, because the steroids suppress the immune response and reduce the effectiveness. I got my flu shot today, though.

Lots of rest and fluids for today. Probably, she will stay home from school tomorrow as well. She is definitely feeling better after the IV antibiotic, and is being her usual goofy self! Hopefully she will be back to 100% by Thursday so she can go to her Daisy Girl Scout meeting. Plus, we have fun plans for the weekend. Ah, yes, the spontaneity that cancer brings into our lives.

I'm so proud of how Mollie just rolls with everything. Things that would have been a HUGE deal to her 18 months ago- like having a giant needle stuck into her chest, being hooked up to an IV, having to wear a mask, sitting in a boring clinic room for hours- are just water under the bridge for her these days. She had a very smooth chemo-port access and needle removal. I remember when just taking the bandage and tape off caused her to go to hysterics. Now, she brings one of her special worry stones with her so she won't worry when she undergoes different procedures. It really works!

Infants' and Children's Tylenol Recall

McNeil is recalling Infants' and Children's liquid Tylenol products because of possible bacterial contamination (click here for the news article link).

To find out which products are affected by the recall, click here.

Light the Night

We had a great weekend. Mollie spent ALL DAY playing at Bella's house on Saturday (and enjoyed every minute, I'm sure). And today, she was a great helper. Matt and I had some projects to do around the house, so Mollie helped out with a little painting. Better yet, she entertained Lucy, giving Matt and I had some uninterrupted time to get things done. She and Lucy also played some wiffle ball in the yard (with Matt, of course) and did lots of arts and crafts. Those two have a very tight bond. Both nights this weekend they had a slumber party. They started out in sleeping bags in Mollie's bedroom, but Lucy kept getting up and into things and keeping Mollie awake. So... they ended up sleeping in Lucy's tiny bedroom, Lucy in her crib, and Mollie on the floor in her sleeping bag. I didn't get a picture, but trust me, it was adorable.

Next Saturday is the Light the Night Walk for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. We just didn't have the time to organize like we did last year, but if you would like to join us for the walk, we would be honored. Please contact me and I will let you know where to meet us. There will be some pre-walk festivities- pizza, face painting, a bounce house, etc.

Here is the link to Team Marching for Mollie for those who would like to donate or join with us in walking.

Teeny Tiny Turle

Well, the dry, cooler weather has disappeared and it has been hot and humid around here. It rained pretty hard last night and Lucy and I found this baby turtle right by the porch this morning. It looked a little bedraggled, like it might have been washed into the yard by the storm.

We kept corralled all day (don't worry, it was very comfy and shaded) so that Mollie could see it when she got home from school. She thought it was adorable and had fun watching it for a while this afternoon. Then she released it into the bushes... hopefully he'll find a nice safe place to hide!

Mollie has been experiencing nausea the last few mornings, but other than that, she seems to have plenty of energy and is feeling great. Next up for her, medically, is a flu shot next week. She's not looking forward to it (who is?), but we will make sure she gets a surprise from the present box.

Which reminds me, we really have wonderful friends and family. We still have quite a few presents left in the box (Mollie gets to pick one each time she goes to clinic); many of these were sent last year shortly after Mollie's diagnosis (I first peaked into the packages and made sure we opened the ones that were specific sizes or seasonal). And there's been a steady flow throughout the year; besides chemo angels, Mollie gets regular packages from my friend Genevieve, who keeps Mollie well informed about fairies (I should write a whole separate post about all the wonderful fairy things Gen has sent), my aunt and uncle in Colorado (usually with good books and coloring items), and Sally's friend in California, who has been sending Mollie little pieces of her "Muffy and Hoppy" collection of stuffed animals with adorable little outfits and accessories. And that's just to name a few!!

We know how time consuming it can be to wrap up packages and get to the post office and send them. We sincerely thank each and every one of you! It is so precious to see the smile on Mollie's face when she gets something in the mail or a surprise from the present box!

Autumn Begins

Mollie had a fabulous day at school today; thank goodness the steroids are over with for now!

I had great conference with her teacher this morning. We were going down the list of kindergarten skills and got to "Listens carefully" and "Works quietly" and Mrs. S said, "Oh yeah. Mollie is NEVER going to be a behavior problem!" So, she's right where she should be and more importantly, she enjoys school.

Today was a perfect fall day. There was a slight breeze, no humidity, and the air just felt clean. The only thing missing was a chill in the air (it was 80 degrees here). Mollie and Lucy played out in the yard until dinnertime. Mollie pulled Lucy around in the wagon (Lucy loves this!), they played in the sandbox, and they collected acorns, twigs, and leaves for a fall nature display. Afterward, we made a quick run to the store and then baked and frosted Matt's birthday cake. It truly was a lovely evening!

Special note to Chemo Angels Susan and Belle: Mollie loves the sleep mask! She wore it in the car and then to bed!

Look at that hair!

Click on the photo to enlarge.