SCHOOL IS IN SESSION!

School has begun and I find myself busier than ever. Kristin started getting busy last week with "student body business." She helped with freshman orientation and made 29 various "I love Freshman" shirts for the rest of the student council members. It took her all day , but they were great! She also helped greet the faculty at a breakfast. Ms. Cox told me when Kristin was introduced, the entire faculty applauded. thank you Galena. Darren,and Alex Hames went for a quick trip to wakeboard at Boca and took her and some friends along. She could not get in the water, but it was a great way to finish off the week. The first day of school came and she was up early getting ready. As she and the boys left for the day, I said a prayer that she would find the strength she needed emotionally and physically to get through the day. This day was met with much anxiety, but the doubt and fear appears to have abated for the moment. yes, prayers are answered!

Health wise, Kristin is limping along as best she can. Her HGB has dropped a bit and she has noticed multiple bruises. I did call Oakland. I drew labs yesterday to see what her counts are. I am currently waiting for the results. Except for being absolutely exhausted all the time, she is holding her own.

We have no chemo this week, just labs in anticipation of next week. We are due in Oakland for two short chemo visits on Tuesday and Wednesday. Sadly, we will miss Cody's b-day on the 2nd. These are just clinic visits and not over night stays. Yea! The frustrating part is that these are things we could do here in Reno, but no one will be here to administer the drugs. So, we have to go all the way down there for shots and iv pushes! I am grateful for the things we can do here, but can someone please build a Children's Hospital in Nevada...soon?

Our love to you all!!!!!! Leslie

Comments

Tanji, Jimmy Jay and Baby Taislyn! said…
Leslie,
I know this is out of nowhere, but this is Tanji, Chaton's sister. She was over at my house yesterday, helping me with my little boy since I just had back surgery, and she told me about your daughter Kristin. I'm soo sorry to hear about this! She told me to look up your blog and read about it. I just wanted to say hi and that I will keep her and your family in our prayers. Good luck with everything!
September 4, 2008 at 4:40 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Beginning

Image
Hello to all from Children's Hospital Oakland, California To it still difficult to grasp that we are actually here...hearing this news...living in this new world. Kristin's official diagnosis is ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA precursor b. This is very treatable form of cancer. She is enrolled in a cutting edge program for treating A.L.L.. All of us here are very optimistic. She is under the care of amazing Doctors and the recipient of the miracles of modern medicine. It will be a very rough 2 years or so, but she will survive. Thus far, we have been on the fast track. This is an amazing institution and we are very, very fortunate to be here. Nothing short of kindness and compassion have been shown to us from the very beginning. Upon our arrival on Monday, she has undergone a bone marrow biopsy, 2 lunbar punctures, echo cardiogram, chest x-ray, broviac cath . placement, and numerous pokes and prods. She received her first chemo treatment; injected into the spinal fluid, Wednes...
Read more

GO GO SPECIAL K!

Our last bone marrow biopsy went great! It showed no leukemia cells. This shows that she is having a positive early response to the chemo which is a very, very good thing! All of her labs are coming back "smashing!" We are dealing with secondary complications such as situational diabetes. This is only tempoary and should resolve once we are off the strong steroids. Consequently she has to have blood sugars checked often, insulin injections, and follow a carb controlled diet. not fun! In trying to be supportive, I am counting carbs along with her. It is hard when someone has a birthday up here every other day and wants to share their cake. Keep the dang cake to yourselves! Kristin is getting very tired more often and is noticing that she can pull out clumps of hair....I am sad. Although I knew this was coming, I was taken back by the situation and caught off guard. Baldness goes hand in hand with leukemia and every parent up here would rather have a beautifully healthy, shini...
Read more

UPDATE

Kristin is currenly in room 5330 getting two units of PRBC's. Her counts are on the way down and I am hoping that this is all the drama we will see. It has been a long, difficult...two months.....seems like forever.... especially as we approach the one year mark. Our daily excursions to Berkley have been uneventful. (I decided that if I had another life, I would like it to be in Berkley. I love this area!) We are going to Alta Bates Hospital. I am taken by the compassion, charity, and warmth that the patients are treated with here. It is the same spirit you feel when you walk onto the 5th floor here at CHO. Wonderful people who truly and compassionately love what they do. Back to her radiation.....Her radiation takes all of two minutes. I call it a "lick." Thankfully she is getting a very low dose so the side effects are pretty much nil. Kristin really looks forward to returning to school on a more regular basis. I cannot begin to tell you of the hardships Kristin has ...
Read more