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Emotionally Spent
Here are some statistics: It has been 116 days since Ashtyn was diagnosed with leukemia. She has spent 77 days and nights in the hospital as an inpatient. She has spent 39 days at home. Of the 39 days at home, 12 were spent at the hospital for doctor’s visits and other procedures. A total…
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Roll With the Punches
In the post “Opposition Is Not a Bad Thing” I wrote, “In life and in cancer I have learned to ‘just go with it.’ I have to plan for the future and then roll with the punches as they come, adjust plans, adapt to the unexpected, embrace change, and face head on whatever life brings.…
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Post-Op
I would say for the two days following surgery, Ashtyn has felt lousy. She is given Morphine and Oxycodone to help with her abdominal pain. She spends her day in bed moving as little as possible. Of course it is the most painful when she has to walk. Every three hours she gets out of…
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Surgery Day
Gallstones are relatively uncommon in children and are not normally seen as a side effect of cancer or chemotherapy. We will never know what caused Ashtyn to get gallstones. Gallstones are small, stone-like objects that form when the liquid in the gallbladder hardens. Ashtyn’s gallbladder had quite a few stones stored. Stones in the gallbladder…
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The Hospital Is Our Second Home
A couple of days ago, in the afternoon of May 16th, Ashtyn threw up after eating a small lunch… a pretzel with cheese dip. I thought it was odd. She had not thrown up or been nauseated since February when she was extremely sick with mucositis. Thankfully, her stomach has tolerated chemotherapy quite well. I…
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The Siblings Side
CHANDLER (14 years old): When my mom and Ashtyn are in the hospital, I don’t get to see them as much. I don’t like it. It feels like there is an emptiness. It feels different. You can tell someone’s not there. The family’s not whole. Sometimes I can tell a difference even when I’m not thinking about…
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On The Doorstep
Ashtyn has been home for almost five weeks and it has been wonderful. I can’t complain. It has been quite uneventful. What does she do all day? Normally, she doesn’t do much. She sleeps in, eats lunch, and relaxes in bed. In the evening she’ll usually sit on the couch and watch a few episodes of Chopped.…
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Ashtyn Goes To School
Saturday, Ashtyn and I had a peaceful night of sleep in the hospital. By 4 a.m. it was time to turn off the lights. I laid next to Ashtyn in her bed and fell asleep listening to her talk about the peace she feels in the hospital. “There is a spirit here that is stronger…
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Where Can I Turn For Peace?
Have I given you the impression that I’m always calm? If I have, it’s not true. I do freak out. It doesn’t last long but it does happen. Things have scared me much more lately than they did at the beginning. Wednesday I took Ashtyn to lunch at Blue Lemon with a friend and her…
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Energy
Today is day 6 of the 28 day home chemotherapy course and everything is going great. Friday, April 26th was day one. We went to the hospital at noon. After she was examined and her broviac central line dressing change was done, she sat in a chair while the IV chemotherapy drugs Ara-C and Cyclophosphamide…
