3 years ago today...

Mollie was diagnosed with leukemia.  What started out as a doctor visit for a fever and malaise turned in to every parent's worst fear.

I remember the events of the previous day- the visit to Dr. B and her sending us to the ER at Children's Medical Center. Waiting for endless hours in a triage room, with Lucy in one of those big metal cribs they have in the hospital and Mollie scared to use the funky toilet, feeling annoyed but increasingly worried.  They weren't really doing anything but giving her IV fluids, tylenol, and pulling some labs.  Child life was wonderful!  I can't remember who it was... maybe Katie or Jamie?  They brought in princess movies, games, and a tiara and wand.  I had to go teach a class that night. By the time I returned to the hospital, Mollie had been admitted and transferred to a room on the 5th floor, where she spent the night.

Much of what happened next is a blur, but she did have a bone marrow biopsy at some point during the day.  What I remember most vividly is Dr. Vega coming in to the room and saying with his Spanish accent, "She has leukemia."  I can still hear every inflection in his voice, like a slow motion replay. 

In some ways it seems like such a long time ago, but at the same time, just thinking about it makes my heart race and my blood pressure rise.  That evening, Matt and I remarked that we were fortunate that we had a diagnosis, and we to focus our energy on healing Mollie, not dwelling on unanswerable questions and sadness.

.......

Happy Day, Mollie!  You are one tough cookie!

Clinic Update

Good thing school is out because someone is too cool!

Yesterday was a fun-filled first official summer vacation day- we spent the morning playing at the splashpad with Ryan (Lucy's *boyfriend*) and Carter.  And I left the camera in the car.  Darn!  Then, Matt took the kids fishing with a coworker and his kids.  They had a blast, caught lots of fish, and got home WAY after bed time!

So, I was worried they were all going to be in a bad mood on clinic day.  Surprisingly, they were well-behaved, and the clinic visit was really quick.  We got the ball rolling for the neuropsych evaluation (hopefully to be conducted sometime in July) and, best of all, great counts!

WBC 10.9
Hgb 13
Plt 181
ANC 7700

What a great way to kick off a week that includes our 10th wedding anniversary, Mollie's 3 year cancer survivor anniversary, Father's Day, and our first international family vacation!  We sure know how to pack it in, don't we?

Sunscreen Update

I mentioned issues with sunscreen in my last post.  Obviously, avoiding the sun is impossible since we live in North Carolina.  Finding a sunscreen that works is important.  In my research, I came across the Environmental Working Group's Sunscreen Guide - a great website that assigns a "hazard score" to sunscreens based on their UV protection and health concerns.  They rank each of the specific ingredients as well, AND tell you how much data there are to support the rankings.

I looked up the two sunscreens we had used on Mollie- one contained octobenzone and the other contained retinyl palmitate (yes! vitamin A and it was not listed in the active ingredients of the Neutrogena Sensitive Skin sunscreen).  So, armed with this new info, I purchased two new sunscreens and we have success!  They don't rub in as well as the others, because they contain zinc oxide, but we will take that over an allergic reaction or sunburn any day!

This is Mollie's last week of first grade (how did THAT happen?).  She's looking forward to some great adventures this summer, but we will kick things off with a clinic appointment next week.  Just writing that reminds me that I need to ask Dr. J about when she should do the neuropsychiatric assessment. 

Update, Long Overdue

Spring is always such a busy time and this year we have been able to enjoy it without chemo- we've been to the horse races (The Queen's Cup in Charlotte), to the aviation museum, and finally planted a few containers of herbs and flowers for Mollie and Lucy to tend.

Mollie had her monthly follow-up appointment last week and I am happy to report.... nothing!  All of her counts were normal! 

Still, there are little things that I wonder about.  She has now had two allergic reactions to sunscreen- swelling & itchy red rash.  We have tried two different types of sunscreen and only reaction only seems to happen when she gets a lot of sun AND is wearing sunscreen.  With the advent of hot weather, we are trying to get to the bottom of this!  For now, we are just keeping her covered with hats, glasses, longsleeves, and shade as much as possible.  She never had this before chemo and I wonder if her immune system is a bit confused.

Also, she continues to have the occasional bloody nose.  Dr. J. is not concerned since they are small and stop very quickly.  She may have a blood vessel close to the surface and hot, dry air irritates the skin.  She had this same type of bloody nose before she was diagnosed with leukemia, but never during chemo, so it bothers me a lot!

She also had her first dental appointment in a long time- the oncologist discouraged this during chemo treatment because of the possibility of introducing bacteria during cleaning or other dental work.  No cavities!

That's the update for now.  Mollie is thriving at her new school and generally enjoying life!  Can't ask for more!

Easter Celebrations and Christmas in July

We had a lovely Easter this year, out at Matt's grandparents farm in South Carolina.  Activities included fishing, rambling, cow watching, visiting with family, church, and two egg hunts (carefully avoiding fire ants and poison ivy).  And too much food!

I hope all of you had a lovely weekend too!

For those who are reading this blog that know children suffering from cancer (in treatment or remission), there is a wonderful lady known as The Blanket Fairy who is organizing Christmas in July to help brighten the summer for these kids. Click the link to find out more about this program and to register a child (parents only).  Please pass the info along to anyone you know who may be interested!

Clinic Update

Mollie's clinic visit went very well! 

The best part, from Mollie's perspective, was that they gave her the choice between a finger stick and an arm stick (she chose finger stick, of course).

By all accounts Mollie looks healthy and has the bloodwork to prove it.  All her numbers were right where they should be, with an ANC of over 2000.

Happy Weekend!

We're still here

... but we have been the victims of microbes!  Various infections and afflictions have slowed us down a bit the last two weeks.  I won't bore you with the details, but with three different antibiotics (for three different individual) and numerous OTC meds, we are coming out of the fog.  However, I anticipate more sneezing as allergy season has just begun.

Mollie and I had a nice little trip to Augusta for Bella's birthday at the end of March!  Visiting our friends always reminds us how much we miss them, and Augusta is really beautiful this time of year (dogwoods in glorious bloom- it is no coincidence that this is when the Masters tournament is held), so it was hard to come back home!

Not much else to report at the moment.  Mollie's monthly clinic visit is tomorrow so I will post another update when we get the numbers.