Spring Break

After a rough start, Mollie had a lovely spring break. She attended an art camp in Aiken, SC for 5 afternoons. She did some gorgeous artwork and had a good time. She did a great job adapting to the new environment and it was a positive experience for her. The theme was 'beach bound,' so the projects were all in wonderful bright colors. Here is a small sampling:


The weather was great (except for the pollen- it was the worst I've ever witnessed) so we also had a few picnics and frolics in the park. Mollie and Isabella spent almost the entire weekend playing outdoors at our house or her house. They said they wanted the weekend to last forever! It is so bittersweet for me since we're going to be moving- it really pains me that those two won't be able to play together whenever the mood strikes.



School has started back up just fine for Mollie and Lucy. Mollie is eating well, full of energy, and feeling great. Lucy & Liam are feeling a little under the weather with coughs and runny noses. The weather continues to be fantastic; I hope everyone feels better soon so we can enjoy it.

Feeling Better

She's not angry in this photo... she's 'posing'

Mollie is feeling much better. She still has a hefty cough, but she has much more energy and a better appetite than she's had for the last week.

We went in to clinic on Monday- counts were good across the board (ANC 4300) and no fever since Sunday morning. After clinic, it was off to art camp!

I'm so proud of Mollie for letting me drop her off at the art program without any tears or clinging. She seems to be enjoying herself. I'm not sure what art projects they are doing, but she's been coming home with lots of colors on her clothes, fingers, and arms, so she must be having fun!

Exhausted Easter

The last few days feel like a whirlwind. Honestly, I'm truly thankful to have my whole family at home on this Easter Sunday, but I also feel let down that we're not having a proper celebration.

To recap the last few days...

Weds. night I took Mollie to the ER for her GI issues and she was discharged with instructions to be observant and keep her hydrated. Matt was up in Charlotte for work and his parents were staying with us. He was supposed to come home Thursday night and we would all leave to spend Easter with his grandparents and uncles in South Carolina on Friday. Matt called on his way home Thursday after work... the car had broken down. He was able to get it running again, but didn't get home until late and we were all feeling stressed. I spent Friday morning packing up all the Easter outfits and supplies and Matt worked on the car a little. Mollie lost one of her front teeth while eating a bagel! In the afternoon, we left for South Carolina, even though Mollie still wasn't feeling 100%.

I can't emphasize enough how difficult it is to deal with situations like this. Mollie badly wanted to go see her G.G. for Easter, but she wasn't feeling well. We didn't know if this was due to her [presumed] GI virus, the steroids, both, or something else entirely. It is such a fine line we walk between taking the right precautions about Mollie's health and actually living and enjoying our lives.

We assumed that Mollie would feel better once she was off the steroids, and Saturday morning, she did seem to perk up a bit. She dyed Easter eggs and went to an Easter egg hunt at the local church. But we could tell she was exhausted and when we got home she took a nap. A few hours later, when she was still sleeping, we checked her temp and it was 102! We quickly packed up, called the oncologists, and headed back to Augusta (~2.5 hr drive) to the ER.

This was terribly difficult for both Mollie and Lucy. Mollie was obviously feeling terrible, but really didn't want to leave. Easter is her favorite holiday and she just loves being around her grandparents and great-grandparents; we don't get to see them often. It was also heartbreaking to see Lucy's response- she clearly didn't understand why we were suddenly leaving and she just laid on the floor and cried. We try not to dwell on it, but I hate that cancer takes away these simple joys from our family.

Matt took Mollie to the ER, while I stayed at home with Liam and Lucy. He ended up fainting while she was being accessed and falling on one of the nurses. They actually brought in a stretcher and oxygen for him- he was fine after a few minutes. It really scared Mollie- she told me this morning that she thought he had died and her heart was beating really fast for an hour. Despite that, she did great with the IV access, X ray, and all the other ER procedure. Her counts were great (ANC was above 4000), so they gave her IV rocephin (antibiotic) and told us to control her fever with Tylenol, keep her well hydrated, and go to clinic on Monday.

So... that brings us to today. Easter Sunday. The kids woke up to Easter baskets, but that is about all we could manage. The pollen is horrible here right now. The earth is literally coated with yellow- cars leave tire tracks in it when they drive down the street- and pollen is just hanging in the air. We don't want to go outside and we're exhausted. All the stores and restaurants are closed, so even if we had the energy, we can't have a special meal together. We're probably going to have turkey sandwiches for dinner! But Mollie still wants to put on her fancy Easter dress and new shoes and hat... so maybe we'll dine on the fine China if I can muster the energy. Matt is feeling horrible from his allergies, lack of sleep, and, probably, from collapsing in a heap on the floor last night. He is sleeping right now- if he wakes up feeling a little better, maybe we'll think of some small way to celebrate Easter. Update: The restaurant in the new Sheraton hotel near our house was open, so we dressed up and had a delicious dinner. Mollie didn't enjoy her food, but she sure gobbled up double chocolate cake for dessert!

Despite the circumstances, I am content that Mollie is feeling a little better and that we are all home under one roof. Mollie was thrilled with her Easter basket surprises, Lucy was thrilled with the candy, and Liam enjoyed the attention of his sisters. Hoping that Mollie feels even better tomorrow- she is supposed to start spring break art camp (after clinic, of course).

And we're home!

The big concern (why Dr. Vega sent us to the ER) was that Mollie might have a bowel obstruction (the abdominal pain) and/or be dehydrated (from the diarrhea). Well, they ruled both of those out in the ER and sent us home with instructions to use Tylenol for pain and wait for this to go away in a few more days.

Also, the clinic is closed tomorrow and Friday (they are moving to a new location for remodeling), so we would have to use the ER anyway if we waited until tomorrow.

We are so happy to be sleeping in our own beds. Mollie isn't feeling much better, but she's sleeping. That might be the best medicine of all. We had such a great crew of doctors and nurses tonight- it was almost pleasant. I said almost.

ER

Well... Mollie still not feeling well and now has lower abdominal cramping/pain. We called Dr. Vega and he sent us to the ER because the clinic is closed until Monday (they are moving to a new location). We are waiting in a conference room next to the ER waiting room so Mollie doesn't get exposed to anything else...

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 :(