Of pricks and such

Just came back from Maeve's routine finger prick cum check up. It is always traumatic. She talks herself into being brave, but when she sees the blood test room, she goes into hysterics. I have to force her little hand out to get pricked each time. Not a pretty sight. As she has to do another one on Friday, I'm thinking of how i can best prepare her for it without her going into a meltdown again. I understand that no one likes to be pricked, but is it possible to even get her to reach a stage of acceptance and to be brave? Anyone with suggestions, let me know. I've tried distraction, sweets, a prize afterwards, but all not working. If her counts go very low this friday, the doctor will order this drug called GCSF which is injected everyday, in the thigh or tummy to protect her, and gulp, I'll have to inject her! I've done those injections before during my fertility treatments and it really is no walk in the park, and i'm a fully grown adult with a high treshhold of pain. So pray she doesn't need it and we can spare her more pokes.

The Half Way Mark

We're home after chemo 2. It is the half way point in our lives for a variety of reasons. first, we're half way there for chemo, after this Maeve has 2 more chemo rounds and we're hopefully done. no relapse or anything. It is also the halfway mark for Paige as she turns 6 months. We (or rather, Maeve) just fed her her first spoon of brown rice cereal, and unlike her big sis, Paige lapped it up and wanted the entired bowl! She was real angry with me for restricting her to 10 spoonfuls.

I'm also a bundle of nerves as the last time Maeve developed a neutropaenic fever (due to excessively low blood counts) on a wed the week after we came home. Today is tuesday and I won't be able to relax till this crucial week passes without any hitch. According to the oncologist, the chance of her developing a fever is about 50% this time round. Her chemo regime is sort of like sending out the machine guns as her type of lymphoma is extremely agressive, hence the chance of fever, unlike other children on milder doses. In fact, each time she's in hospital, she's attached to 8 lines! 2 IV poles. it is a real circus trying to carry her AND 2 IV poles!

So pray for protection especially these few days when her counts drop, that the cancer cells die, but the good cells stay alive, and that no germs and bacteria will go near her.

Grace

"Discovered some sugar in Maeve's urine. So pray it goes away. One of the chemo medicines can cause diabetes. Tomorrow one more lumbar puncture. Pray that she will recover well from that. No vomiting etc."

"I am feeling tired. Pray for grace and strength."

"We will be home tomorrow evening. Her blood counts will start dropping today onwards and will be all time low in the next few days. Pray she will have no fever this time round. Thanks."

We baked a chocolate cake!

Port blockage

"Today port has a blockage, so they put some blood thinner to clear clot and hopefully can draw out the clot later. Pray that it works. Thanks."

Day 2

"Pray for protection for Maeve as there is a bacteria outbreak here. Pray also for comfort. Just in one day, she had to do 2 finger pricks, 1 port insertion, lumbar puncture :( God sent angels to comfort her though, that is what she said!"

"Pray also for me. I keep having such pessimistic and scary thoughts which is unusual for me as I am usually very optimistic."

Round 2 of chemo had started

"Maeve just had her chemo to brain. As a result, seeing things like angels flying towards her :) Pray
that this round of chemo will be as successful as last round. That all bad cancer cells die!"

Let's pray and cheer the Low family on for round 2 of chemo.