Category: Leukemia

A Day in the Life of a Cancer Kid at the Clinic

This Saturday is Serenity’s 1 year survival anniversary! I’m planning on doing a couple special posts for that day.

For her last clinic visit of her 1st year (which was last week) we took tons of pictures of her going through the Clinic process. Keep in mind that last year when she first started going everything was horrible and it was nearly impossible to get her to do anything. Now she goes through the routine pretty much on her own! We’re so happy for her for how well she’s doing! We know it could be much worse (as it is with some of our good friends we’ve made since being diagnosed) for her and we’re very grateful that we haven’t had major issues – not sure how we’ve gotten by without any MAJOR hitches so far.

So, with no further adieu and without anymore waiting:

Crashing out on the hour drive to the Hospital.

In front of the hospital with Mom

Outside the Hemo-Onc Clinic door

Making crafts while we wait for our room (they have several GREAT volunteers that sit in the waiting room and entertain the kids)

Starting the check-in guantlet run – getting measured…

Getting weighed….

Blood Pressure….

Picking out a toy…

Finally in our room! Now the fun begins…

Getting stickers made from her admin bracelet – since day one she has always had them make her extra stickers, she puts them on her shirt.

Getting prepped for port access…

Accessed, getting blood draws…

Getting chemo through her port…

Her AWESOME Oncologist, Dr. Fluchel comes to visit and do her checkup.

Then it’s downstairs to the RTU to visit her favorite Nurse, Dahlia, who always showers her with stickers, toys, tattoos and whatever else she can find – we LOVE Dahlia!

Waking up from anesthesia and having a Lumbar Puncture done…. NOT fun.

Pretty much recovered thanks to the help of Cheetos and Gatorade! Now it’s time to go home after a 5 hour day at the hospital!

She checked out great at her visit, excellent blood counts and growing well!

Cute little one

Serenity is so cute lately. She says the funniest things. The other day we were outside and it was cold, and I said that my nose was cold. My 4 year old said that her arms were cold. And Serenity stated that her elbows were cold. She had a jacket on, and it just seemed so funny.

And the other day I had the door shut. She came in the room, angry that the door had been shut, and wanted to know why I’d shut it. I said, “Because I don’t want everybody coming in the room right now.” She said, “Not everybody! Just one person! Just Serenity Burns!” When she says her name it sounds like “Retty”. She loves her name and goes around saying it all day long, reminding us that she is “Retty Burns”.

We have a clinic visit on Thursday. I expect it will be quick and routine. She has been complaining that her legs hurt the past few days. Also one eye looks pink, I’m not sure why and she hasn’t complained about it.

She balances being ridiculously adorable with throwing ridiculously frustrating tantrums several times a week. Or in the case of days like today, several times a day. But her cuteness makes up for it.

Apologies!

I am so sorry to leave everyone hanging. Things have been crazy-busy, but Serenity has been ok. We ended up moving suddenly & I got consumed with packing & house hunting & forgot to update the blog.

Last week we had a clinic visit & things were uneventful. She had a lumbar puncture & received her IV Vincristine. Her ANC was only 700 (they like it to be at least 1000), but she has not been sick. She will have another blood draw this week to check her numbers.

She is finishing up her monthly 5 day pulse of dexamethasone, but it hasn’t been too bad having her on steroids. She has grown a inch since last month but her weight is still the same.

She’s particularly adorable these days so I will try and get some photos up.

Miss Stinky Feet

Tonight I was lying next to Serenity when she put her feet in my face. And the first thing I thought was that I love this girl so much, I even love smelling her stinky feet. There is a nurse at the hospital that, like so many of them, just has a way with children. This particular one is tall, probably in his mid forties, and has long greying hair pulled back into a ponytail. He goes out of his way to talk to Serenity whenever he is on the floor. At first she was intimidated and wouldn’t acknowledge him at all. In an effort to coax her out of shyness, he would ask her if she had stinky feet. Before long she would smile each time he asked and even laugh a little bit. At home whenever her feet are smelly we tell her, “We’re going to tell Irish about your stinky feet!” and she laughs, “No! Don’t tell Irish!” It has become a little game.

She was trying to stay awake so that she could nurse before falling asleep. She had just taken her medicine and so she knew she had to wait an hour before she could eat or drink anything. Every few minutes she would ask to see my watch. Although she can’t tell time she would study my watch intently for a few seconds and then announce, “Not time yet.” I was thinking about how well she (usually) takes everything in stride. She knows there are times she can’t eat because food affects how her medicine is metabolized. For her, daily medicine has become just a part of the routine. Doctor visits, hospital stays, the fact that she can’t do all the things her older siblings can do…it is all part of her life and she accepts it without too much complaint. I am glad, but it is sad to see. And I know that as normal as life is now, we will never again be those people we were before leukemia.