Rough Night

The hair fell out - she is so upset she didn't want to come out of her room last night. It really breaks my heart that she is so upset. I want to make her feel better but there isn't much I can
do - not even the scarves and hats we got are helping much. She feels like she looks horrible (she doesn't) but mom's opinion doesn't matter much when you look in the mirror and see
a bald (but beautiful girl) looking back at you. I've got 101 phone calls and applications to fill out and I think the ACS class is going to move up the priority list. Pray she will still go to the Support group on Thursday. Just when we were feeling better and got good news, she feels like the wind got knocked out of her again!
Blessings all!

BABY PILE!

This morning when i went out to feed I peeked in the baby hut and look what I found - Some of them I can't tell where they end and another baby begins. This was the shot I got this morning - OH my they are soooooo cute! Despite the cold and wind they were all out running around, well, springing around!!!! I love looking out my back window seeing all those babies playing! I think I may make sure I breed my does pretty close together from now on - or at least two of them at a time so we can have playmates - This is so much fun!!!!

Blessed Day.

Yesterday was awesome. It took a while but we finally came home.

Dr. Mathew told Alyssa to "walk with your head up and back strait - you're in remission now"

Those were the sweetest words this mother could hear going thru this ordeal. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. She really did take this round better than the first round and she appears stronger than when she was released last time. Seeing her smile (lots of big smiles) made me want to shout for joy. Aly still has to go thru one more round of Chemo but it appears we are off the hook for radiation (Halleluja!) but seeing this big, bright glaring light at the end of the tunnel makes it a little easier to take (for mom anyway - I'm sure it's not so easy for her).

This week we still have to take the Prednisone and she has the follow up Vincristine on Friday. That is the one that made her hurt so bad with back and jaw pain last time. But again, knowing she is clear of active cancer right now makes it seems just a little easier to take knowing the end is truly in sight. I know - because of my mom's breast cancer - you never really rest easy and every year you let out a big sigh of relief when they give you the all clear after your annual checkups. I know for her it will never truly be over as she will live with the knowlege in the back of her mind for the rest of her life that it could come back. Thank you P&P J for the precious lamb and Angel pin. Thank you JT, LS, LA and N & E for the yummy meals you provided for my family this weekend. I got some of the leftovers and everything was fantastic and yummy!!!

Also to LB for the gift card for Aly and to C,D,A &J for the gift for Aly. Sure brightened her homecoming to see how loved and supported she is. GOD is sooooo goood and we are so under HIS mercy and grace!

Please pray for K still - I found out he's been in for the past 3 weeks, he's not gotten to go home.

also for another young man going thru cancer, C, who apparently has been at this for 7 years. It does truly bring me to my knees Thanking God for how little we've had to endure compared to some of these other precious kids. You know folks keep asking me what they can do - WE are so taken care of but these other kids and families have to endure SO MUCH- here's a few ideas that you all can do for others and us: Donate money to Children's Cancer Fun of NM 112 14th St. SW ALBQ, NM 87102 - These folks provide vouchers for food, gas, and other needs for families who are spending a lot of time at the hospital. Also give blood - though we haven't needed a transfusion yet (we are praying HARD we don't) they need blood for these kiddos and lots of others who need transfusions - I think how selfish I am not donating blood when I know I am free of diseases and other issues - my blood could mean a big difference for one of these kids. I am going to start donating blood as soon as I can. IF you already do - Kudos to you!!!!! You are awesome!

Chemo Update - We are going home!!!

Hope this isn't another false alarm but Dr. Mathew just came in and said he thinks he can write the ticket out of here today - Alyssa looks great and has NO nausea and vomiting. He wanted her to eat something and keep it down (she did have two slices of pizza and two fruit cups last night and kept it down) so she just ate a fruit cup to see if she can hang. He doesn't want to send her home and then her get sick and have to come back. We don't want that either so we will see if she can keep down the food so we can GO HOME!!! Guess I best consider packing and getting ready just in case. Maybe I can make a trip to the car to dump non essentials. It has been a much easier treatment than the last one - they said that does happen. Most people do better after the first treatment. Dr. Mathew said he couldn't feel anything in her neck either. PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!!! she actually looks good compared to where she was last time at this point in the treatment protocol. Our next check in date is April 17. We have clinic this coming Friday where she gets the 2nd Vincristine dose and has to be on Prednisone, GCSF, and Bactrim for the next week or so plus lots of blood draws etc. Alyssa wants to come back on Thursday night for the Teen support group so hopefully we can do that.
Thank you to everyone who has been bringing food to my family and taking care of us thru this
what a nice thing to be able to be at the hospital and not have to worry about my family at home - that they are well taken care of!
Please pray that she will not get sick once we get home and that this time around it will be a bit easier to take. We seem to be getting into a routine and figuring this all out (once we've got it down- we might be done!!! - But that's a praise report!!!!!) Also continue to pray for K and his family. They are still here and I know he's recovering from his lung surgery.
Blessings,
Deanna

What a GREAT Day!!!!

Today started off a bit on the rough side, as I posted earlier she was sick and very exhausted from the treatment last night. She slept most of the day and my mom relieved me so I could go to the goat show for a while. Storm didn't do well in the first show - no big surprise - he was his big ol' stinky, hairy self. We shaved off enough to where you could actually see how nice looking he was and he took Sr. Grand Champion and Reserve Champion Buck in the 2nd show under Judge Gary Whitehead. SO excited! To make matters even better I got back to the hospital to a wide awake, smily and even a tad perky daughter!!!! She is still tired but she's doing much better this time around than she did last time. Certainly was the cherry on top of the Sundae!!!
BIG SMILES!!!
Thank you all for all of your prayers, we are definitely getting positive answers and are being held up in HIS strength! Peace is flowing over us
Thank you to whoever brought dinner to my family (sorry my brain is fuzzy from lack of sleep last night and I know I was told but can't remember) To KF for taking my stinky little guy to the
show and to SH for showing him in the first show. To all the folks who donated stuff to the fundraiser at the show and to all those who participated! What a huge blessing it all was and to be there to enjoy everyone's company!

Chemo Round 2

Well, last night was just plain rough. Despite the correct doses of Anti Nausea medications, she was sick anyway. She was up on and off vomiting from 3 am on - She couldn't go to sleep until around 12pm - needless to say there wasn't much sleeping going on between rounds and her getting up sick etc. Despite giving up coffee, I'm needing some this morning!!!! My mom is going to come relieve me in just a bit and I'm going over to the goat show. I will have to take a change of clothes just in case I need to show my buck or something (Alyssa won't let me back in here smelling like that!!!!) It will be nice to go see everyone and everything going on! I miss my goat and knit groups.
Please pray that Alyssa is able to hold up better this go round so they let her out tomorrow.
She feels pretty icky right now but has gotten some sleep this morning (unlike me - once the sun is up - so am I). Also keep K in your prayers. He is here this go round also. I ran into his Grandfather in the nutrition room late last night - K had just gotten out of his lung surgery.
Uphold him and his grandparents as they go thru this also!
Thank you to BRH for the yummy soup and tortillas for dinner last night and JT for feeding my family at home. Again we are abundantly blessed and well taken care of in the midst of this thing. makes going thru it a lot easier

Hospital - Round 2

It's been quite a day! We got to the hospital around 9am and checked into the Oncology Clinic
They accessed her port and drew blood for some numbers (yes, they were high enough) and then went down to Nuc. Medicine for her PET/CT scan. Then back up to Oncology. We had a leaking tube on her port access so she had a messed up shirt. that was a bit insane. We had to have her port re accessed and of course it had to be cleaned etc. to make sure she doesn't get an infection in the line etc. UGH!!!! We got her checked into the PSCUnit for treatment after we went to Subway for lunch (at 2 pm) Poor kid was STARVING because she had to go in fasting.
The PET/CT scan came back GREAT!!!! Big time answered prayer there - they said the tumors looked like little pockets of dead cells. WAHOOO!!!!! We are soo excited. God is so good to us and we are just rejoicing like crazy. Tomorrow is the goat show - I will go for a little while to see everyone and to hopefully watch my Storm (buck) win!!!! Highly doubtful since he's an unshaved mess - hopefully the judge can look past his stinky nasy hairy self and see the beautiful buck he is underneath. We had a winter's last Hurrah! It got COLD and windy nasty (of course -hello, we had babies born -had to get cold and nasty, that's the way it works.

Also - Thank you SR for your second doe purchase - Z6 now CBF CS SG Ammi is now the herdmate to CBF TD SG Pepper.