EVERY STEP SHE TAKES

Spring


Vacaville, California with family

they are smiling because there were

gold coins in those eggs!

My apologies for not posting for a while. Here is a quick update to be followed by an explanation for the title. Our family enjoyed a quick trip to Vacaville, California for Easter with my parents. The weather was lovely and it was nice to visit old friends. While we were there we picked up an awesome riding lawn mower my father gave to Darren. It has certainly helped out our yard maintenance efforts, but it still takes about 3+ hours to just do the mowing.

Last week Kristin seem to come down with a cold and wicked cough. She flirted with a fever for about 24 hours earlier in the week and spent two days at home. Luckily it seemed to resolve itself just as I had decided to call, regretfully I may add, Oakland. Then, late Friday afternoon, Kristin called to tell me and said she was shivering, cold and had a temp of 101.8. Rats! Although the Broviac catheter has been removed, fever is still not a good thing and needs to be investigated. I called the clinic and they said to go up to Renown to be checked out. (Of course this could not have happened Friday morning at 9:30. That would be too unlike cancer.... and make life just a wee bit easier) Once we arrived, they did labs, vitals and a chest xray. Temp was 102. The xray was clear and I was relieved as the cough was worrisome. If labs came back and she was neutropenic, it would be a 72 hour stay. Lucky for us the labs were not too bad. ANC 800, WBC 2.0 HGB 12.7 PLATES 226. This meant a yummy dose of iv antibiotics and then she could go home. The rest of the weekend passed having no ugly fever rearing it's ugly head.whew!

Every Step She Takes is painful reminder of the effects that chemo has had on her body. The foot drop caused by the neuropathy is evidence in each step. You may have witnessed this on occasion when you run across someone undergoing chemotherapy of one kind or another. I have personally seen some cases, by far, worse than hers and have been grateful that she has not been affected as badly as some. Never the less, for her, the loss of her athleticism and agility has been a high price to pay, among other things. In the hall at school Kristin had passed two girls going the opposite direction.No one else was around, she said hello and continued on her way. The girls began slapping their feet as they walked and began laughing, mimicking the sound Kristin makes when she walks. She found refuge in her beloved Mrs. Cox who gave her some very wise counsel, then in tears called me asking to come home. She napped all afternoon. Sadly, the world is filled with cruelty. But, I and all who read this blog, know that the world is also filled with compassion and charity. You have each been a part of the virtue and not the vice. For that, we are grateful.

sorry for dead space below. i do not know how to get ride of it, but the rest of the blog is still here in its entirety if you just scroll down. if anyone knows how to resolve this problem, let me know. thanks!