Oct. 1, 1997 It was a rough day today. She got two chemo treatments. The shot in the leg and the IV push. Still eating good though and was really excited about going for a wagon ride. I got her a new toy (a horse that whinny's and kicks his front leg when you tickle his nose) she loved it and Matthew got his sister a white teddy bear with a hat on it. Her hair is thinning out .. all that pretty strawberry blonde hair .. *sigh* .. oh well .. hopefully it will come back in the same color and curly again Oct. 2, 1997 I took most of today off; but, that little girl doesn't have that privilege :-( .. I worked on her mom's computer trying to set it up for her .. it is so slow and such bad quality .. I don't know what to do. Maybe breakdown and buy something better. I know she really needs it and will need it more when they get Miky home. Tonight went in to see Miky .. she looked pretty sad till I went and got the wagon. Then the smiles started to happen. Nanna came finally to give her a wagon ride. Papa was really excited when he heard her laughing and smiling (just plain having a good time for the first time in a long time) That made her day complete. She has been having fairly good days and they have been testing her blood and all the leukemia cells have disappeared from the blood. The first of good signs. Hopefully all the signs will be good ones. *smile* Till tomorrow .. God Bless this little Angel Oct. 3, 1997 When I take time off I really take it off. All this running back and forth to the hospital and the mental stress of everything got the best of me and I needed a much needed rest. Today we got to the hospital and saw the doctor and he said he would like to see her start to go out on over night passes. So off we went, with one happy little girl. She chattered all the way home. They have to take her back in the morning to have her checked and if all is fine, she can again spend the night at home. Well, this little girl and her brother were so excited to be spending the night together they giggled most of the night and she was awake till 6 am. Now that is excited. Oct. 4, 1997 She was taken to the hospital this morning. All tests were done and all was ok. Back home again she went. She was pretty grouchie today.. no wonder .. with no sleep. hehehe .. She slept tonight .. and is really happy to be home again in her own bed. Oct. 5, 1997 Back to the hospital this morning. Has to have another chemo treatment and all the stuff that goes with it. This one was the needle in the leg. She is limping bad from that shot and says it really hurts. She started to run a fever. I went over and bought an ear temp taker to make it easier and more accurate. These little ones are not so cooperative all the time. She thinks everything is going to hurt her, since everything has so far throughout this treatment. She is running a bit of a fever still .. it went down to normal at 3 am. A good sign. Oct. 6, 1997 Back to the hospital this morning for more tests and to be checked. She doesn't have to go back now till Tue. afternoon so she can get prepared for the operating room again. Was a good day today. Still is limping bad from the shot. But is a much happier child. Till Wed. That will be a bad bad day for her again. God Bless all the little children and please say a prayer for them all. Oct. 7, 1997 A good day, then back to the hospital late this afternoon, preparation for tomorrow, more testing and blood transfusion. She is getting to the point of telling the nurses to go away. *smile* Mom spent the night with her. Oct. 8, 1997 Today is the big day. Back into the operating room. Going to take spinal fluid for testing and give a spinal chemo treatment. Then will take bone marrow for testing (this will tell us for sure if this chemo is working) and a IV push chemo treatment, plus the chemo shot in the leg (poor little girl is still limping from the last one they gave her). She had a bit of trouble with her breathing in the operating room so she had to be kept there longer than normal. She is so little to be going through all this .. but it most likely was her temper that did it cause she thought she was going for dinner when they took her down. She was starved. When they brought her back she had a popcycle in her mouth. *smile* She must have a temper like her Grandma. hehehe .. Got back the test from the spinal fluid .. IT IS CLEAR .. YIPPEEEEE She got to go home for the night. Oct. 9, 1997 Today we had to have her at the hospital at 2 for the test result of the bone marrow and to have her checked. At about 3:30 the Doc arrived. Sitting and waiting is the hardest part of all this. GREAT NEWS .. her bone marrow showed healthy new white cells growing and being produced. The Doctor was so surprised to get those results for only having two weeks of chemo .. he said he has never seen it work that fast before .. Two weeks from now will tell more. From the hospital we had to go pick up her medicine and then over to the cancer hospital. She will be starting her treatments there next Tue. (No more hospital for awhile after Sunday .. thank god) We get tomorrow off. *smile* Oct. 10, 1997 We have today off .. and I think she is enjoying it just as much as I am. We have been on the run ever since this all started and I am tired and I bet she is totally exhausted. Now how do they expect a girl to get healthy when all they expect us to do is run around? Oct. 11, 1997 Back to the hospital this morning for more tests and then back home again. All in all it wasn't to bad of a day. Oct. 12, 1997 Off to the hospital at 10 and got another shot in the leg. Had to pack up all her stuff and take it home. She is finally escaping the place; but, should have hired a moving van, didn't know a kid could have so much stuff packed in a crib .. LOL .. Off to Grandma's for Thanksgiving dinner. We have lots to be thankful for this year. *smile* Oct. 13, 1997 A nice quiet day. Rest today cause tomorrow we start again. Today she lost most of her hair. She pulled it out. Said it was ukky. Poor little girl. Have to find her a hat now. Oct. 14, 1997 Not a good day. At 5 am had to take Miky to the hospital with high fever. They did the chemo treatment in there. This little girl is getting quite vocal. Her brother didn't want to get up, so she went and banged on his door, her Mom opened the door for her and she went over to his bed and yelled at him "Get up .. I sick" .. hehehe she is getting bossy in her young years. Oct. 15, 1997 Today she slept all day. Whatever it was that caused the fever seems to be gone now and she is just resting. All this that is happening to her must be just exhausting for her. She is having a good rest anyway. Oct 16, 1997 Today we get to take her home. She is back to her old sweet self again. She was pretty happy to go home and chattered all the way home. Nothing to happen to her now till Monday, when we have to take her for her blood work for the operation on Tue. See you all on monday unless something comes up in the meantime. *smile* (Got word tonight that a lady (I went to College with) son (17 yrs old) was found unconscious last night and they found he has leukemia and he is on life support and not expected to live through the night.) Man this stuff is scary. From what I can understand so far .. he showed no signs of illness at all. Was fine at 6 pm and was going to do his homework.. unconscious at 9 pm when they found him. Oct. 17, 1997 Bad news .... the 17 year old boy didn't make it through the night. My prayers go with him and to his family .. they will need it now to be strong. That is the hardest thing to accept and wonder why and no good byes .. so sad .. My heart goes out to that family Oct. 20, 1997 It was a good weekend. Today it was off to the cancer clinic and have the blood work done for the operation tomorrow.. We are on the last of this stage. Her blood work must have been good .. no call for getting a transfusion anyway. A good sign. Tomorrow the big day. Oct. 21, 1997 Off to the hospital we went today with a not to happy little girl. Seems she knows what is going to happen. Poor little thing. Today was a long day. They finally got her into the operating room after 2 pm. Poor little thing all day without food or fluids. That is hard enough for an adult to cope with .. but a baby .. (that is just too much). She did well in the operating room and they took some bonemarow from her hip and did another spinal fluid test and chemo into the spine. What hair she does have left will be gone now. :-( .. We finally got out of the hospital after 4 pm .. a long over 6 hrs for a 10 minute procedure. Now a day of rest if all goes well and no fevers. Then the results on Thurs. 28 days of running already. They have gone so fast. Thurs we find out what the next course of treatment will be.. Hopefully not as much running. This little one is exhausted and so am I .. hehehehe. Oct. 23, 1997 Today wasn't so great .. the blood test was great .. all counts were up but the bonemarrow wasn't good. They figure they didnt take enough to get an accurate count so we have to do this all over again next week .. a whole week lost .. How discouraging. Oh well .. we will do it again and again till it all comes back normal .. *fingers crossed* Oct. 26, 1997 Had a good weekend. This little girl is talking more and more lately and knows what she wants and doesn't want. Sat. night she called me and said "Nanna, pappa, see me now" So off we went to visit her at home. Later on it was bedtime and time for the medicine. Bad news .. she says "no mecine.. no mecine" and the fight begins. Finally got it all into her so then we had a good time jumping on the bed as a treat for taking it all. She enjoyed that and it was nice to see her having a good time and laughing like she used to. (Mom though wasn't pleased about the jumping .. But isn't that what grandmas are for??? to spoil them just a wee bit *smile*) Oct. 27, 1997 Early this morning we were off to the hospital again. Back into the operating room for more bonemarrow. I do hope this one will be good. Poor little girl has to go through so much. For once we had a good time at the hospital. She did well in the operating room and came back to us smiling. The doctor came in and told us all went well and that Miky is IN FULL REMISSION. And off we went to home after they took a blood sample. There were many smiles as we drove home. Oct. 28,1997 Today we were suppose to go to the cancer clinic and get the results from yesterdays test .. but they called and said they weren't back yet, so now the appointment is on Thurs. Ten minutes after the call my daughter called me and said the broviac tube (this is a tube that goes into her vein and goes to the heart, where they put in medicines and chemo) has a hole in it and is leaking. I dropped everything and was on the road again praying there were no police on my side of the freeway. *smile* .. Luck was with me today .. Over to the cancer clinic we rushed and they fixed the tube and then off we went again to home. Oct. 29, 1997 Phone call today. No appointment on Thurs. the test still isn't good. Have to do it all over again next week. I hope it isn't true about being put under that it kills brain cells .. soon she will be brain cell poor .. hehehe .. poor little girl. Oct. 30, 1997 Not a good day. Fever started at 4 pm .. At Midnight took her to the hospital. I won't go through what we went through there .. but it did not impress me at all and things started to happen after I, (nanna) got mad. (told you I had a temper .. just like an old bear I am) hehehe . Finally they got her moved to a bed up on the ward after 1 am. One whole hour sitting amongst the sick. I don't know how much more we can take of this .. our patience tolerance is getting very low and we are starting to get quite bitchy with it all. Well, we got her hooked up to all the goodies again and blood taken and such .. she was not impressed at all. Guess she has been watching nanna too long. hehehehehe Oct. 31, 1997 Well they called this morning and said that there was nothing wrong with her and we could come and get her. We got to the hospital .. no Miky in her room or at the nurses desk. We were told she was at the playroom, so off we went .. no Miky there. Then we were told she was out trick or treating with the kids from the ward. So there we were waiting for the munchkin to get back from having fun. Got her ready and gathered up all her goodies from halloween and off we went to home. Now this really impresses me NOT .. Tonight get a phone call. Have to bring her back to the hospital .. the blood test was read wrong and she has an infection in her and she has to be put on medicine right away. Now that is incompetent. I am totally upset.