KNOCK,KNOCK...

Knock, knock. Who's there?
Prom. Prom who?
Promise you will be careful!
This was the little joke we wrote on Kristin's back when she went into surgery for her latest l.p. (lumbar puncture) The whole floor is aware that Kristin has prom this week and they are all pulling for her to be able to go this Saturday. I am so happy to say that it looks like she will be able to! Yes! She mentioned yesterday that she almost feels "normal" today. Her counts are up dramatically after the last two weeks....finally and we were able to begin the next 63 days of her treatment. this is called interim maintenance. During her l.p. she received methotrexate into the spinal fluid, under anesthesia. Later in the day vincristine through her broviac. This is the med that gives her difficulty with her feet, joints, and coordination At 10 p.m. she was give the bad boy... high dose methotrexate through an iv drip over 24 hours. For this she is given lots and lots of fluids and at the end of the 24 hour period she is given leucovorin. Leucovorin is a reversing antidote. I call it the negator. This will clear the high does methotrexate from her body before it can do serious, possibly irreversible side effects. Once it "clears" her system we are free to go. Some children clear in three days and others clear in up to 5 days. We are praying for the fastest (is that a real word?) clearing they have seen. She really wants to go home since she has not been there since March 28. Our room this go around is not as luxurious as the "penthouse." We are sharing with a young girl;about 7 years old, who has ovarian cancer. It is more common in young girls than most people think. I was shocked! That aside, our part of the room is approximately the size of a postage stamp. With the curtains pulled for some shred of privacy, it is even smaller. I have decided that I can catch up on my sleep when I get home because trying to get any on this trip will be next to impossible. Each child has their own nurse. Each child has vitals checked throughout the night. Every hour. All this times two and that equals a very busy night! After the possibility of a relapse last week, I am just grateful we are not living that alternative right now! Being in the private rooms means more serious procedures. Sharing a room is a very small price to pay and we do not mind one bit! (well, maybe just one tiny bit) We will repeat this procedure 4 times during interim maintenance.
A big thank you for all your support! Keep the prayers coming for Kristin and all the other children in this fight against childhood cancer.
Warmly, Leslie

Comments

Amy Girl said…
Leslie, you crack me up. I loved your little message you wrote on her back. I'm sending good prom vibes to Kristin.
April 8, 2008 at 2:51 PM
Kathy Hawley said…
You certainly have the humor thing figured out! It makes everything go ever so much better! I hope prom does work out! Reminds me of the country song 'Skin' about the bald cancer patient going to prom. It has been a favorite at our house since the first time we heard it. Jennifer was off treatment and had hair by prom time, but we did go by Saints Peds around 1 AM with jennifer in her hot pink prom dress and looking gorgeous. Although the nurses on duty did not know her, they let us in, took pictures for the rest of the nursing staff, and compared her to her pictures on the wall taken during treatment. I think it make their night! Good luck and best wishes always - Kristin's picture remains on the board in our classroom, so I give updates now and then. The class will be happy to see the prom dress :)
April 9, 2008 at 12:33 PM
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