The Pictures

Clinic Update: Mollie's clinic visit went well yesterday- she got accessed very quickly and her ANC is great (4700). Actually, we were in and out of there pretty quickly (<3 hours). Unfortunately, she is still suffering from GI issues. I am attempting to get her to eat yogurt, but she doesn't like it (or smoothies) when she's on steroids. She went to school this morning and I will pick her up just before naptime; I hope it goes smoothly.

So...

Glad last week is over. Mollie suffered from GI problems all week, missing school off and on. I think maybe it was a virus? In any case, she seems to be [mostly] better now.

Mollie is resting up right now because she went to her first slumber party last night! Tomorrow, she has her monthly chemo appointment. She will get her IV vincristine and start steroid treatment again. Matt's parents are coming to visit on Tuesday or Weds. so that should help Mollie (& the rest of us) get through this round of steroids. Plus, she is looking forward to Easter.

We've been getting as much outside time as we can; spring is a delightful time of year. Mollie just loves flowers and gardens, so we picked up a few snapdragons to plant in pots and cleaned up her fairy garden a little bit. We also visited a sweet little public garden and park in North Augusta and had a small picnic (much to Mollie's delight).

Pictures to come- my camera battery is dead and I don't have a back up :(

Feeling Tongue Tied

Sorry for the lack of updates- I keep starting a post and then getting interrupted and forgetting exactly what I wanted to say.

Here's a shout out to my friends Anita, Nicola, Liz and Lauren! I have known these ladies for 20+ years and we've kept in touch across the miles. They know that I've been struggling lately and sent me a very special care package last week. Thank you friends, I truly appreciate it!

Mollie is doing pretty well, although she has been experiencing more nausea & vomitting than usual. She gets really shaky in the middle of the night (towards morning) and sometimes throws up. She takes her chemo at night, so I think it could be low blood sugar. She might still be adjusting to the higher dose of 6 MP that she started 3 weeks ago. It's leaving us all pretty tired. Tonight I will try keeping some Cheerios or crackers next to her bed and giving her Zofran with her evening meds and see if that helps.

We made a spontaneous trip to Jacksonville, FL on Sunday to see Cal play Duke in the NCAA tournament. It was fun (even though they lost) and the kids were great on the drive! Lucy and Mollie were both impressed by the crowd in the big arena. We might have spent the night in Jacksonville and made a trip out of it, but we forgot Mollie's chemo at home. We've been giving her chemo every single day for 600+ days and we forget on the one day we go out of town. Figures!

Clinic Update

Mollie had a clinic visit today. Liam had his 2 month appointment today too.

Can I just tell you how sick & tired I am of clinic waiting rooms?

Mollie got her 2nd H1N1 shot and they measured her blood cell counts. Her chemo dose was increased last visit because her height had increased, so we had this mid-cycle visit to check counts to see how she is tolerating the higher dose. Her ANC is 1600- perfect. All her other cells are in the normal range, so her next appointment for IV chemo is in 2 weeks. And... this brave kiddo took the shot like a champ!

Weekend Round-Up

We went to the horse races (the Aiken Trials) on Saturday in Aiken, SC. We had never done it before and it was fun! The weather was just a bit cold, but we only caught a few minutes of rain. The girls made their picks as the horses were paraded around the paddock before each race and they enjoyed watching the jockeys in their colorful silk jerseys mount up just before they went off to the gates. We brought snacks and drinks and tailgated during the down time.

Today was Mollie's birthday party revisited. Since Bella was sick last weekend, we had her over for another tea party today. She and Mollie played all day long and Mollie went out to dinner with Bella's family tonight. It struck me how much both Mollie and Bella have matured since they first became friends. Today they were both perfect little ladies, no whining or bickering from either one!

My big triumph was managing to get a few pictures of all 3 of my children at the same time. Next challenge: the whole family.

Off to the doctor again...

but not with Mollie! Liam has a persistent cough that I couldn't ignore any longer, especially since he hasn't had any immunizations yet. So we went for a visit to Dr. B. The result? Antibiotics for Liam and another appointment next week. Oh, and many comments on how big he is: 15 lbs at 2 months!

The kids' pediatrician is the best! Dr. B is about 4 ft tall (perfect pediatrician height!) and very relaxed. She puts us at ease even when discussing serious issues. I give her so much credit for sending us to the ER that day Mollie was sick back in June 2008. That began the chain of events that ultimately ended with Mollie's leukemia diagnosis. Boy, we are going to miss her when we move!

Spring has sprung

Not much to update since Saturday...

The weather was fabulous on Mollie's birthday and it's even better today. We are all excited to get to spend some time outside before things heat up too much!

Mollie is feeling well and has regained her energy now that the steroids are over. We went to the art museum yesterday and she was running all over the place! She enjoyed having uncle Sam and auntie Liv here for the weekend.

Tomorrow is the big day for Frank- he's shaving his head in honor of Mollie. He has raised nearly $7000! Wow!

While I was writing this post, Mollie came home from school to find a package in the mail from France. Inside? A beautiful quilt from Quilts 4 Leukemia! She loves it: