"Homa" for the Holidays

We spent Christmas this year in Oklahoma! I did not take enough pictures! oops! And I waited too long to write about it! But better late and something, than nothing! We have a great time! This OK family knows how to do Christmas! Love them and so thankful for every detail that made this week perfect! We enjoyed getting to play with cousins and spend time together! Crew still cries saying "I want to go to Nana's!" LOVE YOU GUYS! Christmas was magical! 

Christmas-time

Low ANC

Clinic on Friday showed an ANC of 100 for Presley. When you are below 500 you are considered neutropenic (low levels of neutrophils in the blood).  If a fever is to show up when your ANC is that low, you are admitted to the hospital. We knew we were in the danger zone, so when a fever spiked on Tuesday we packed our bags knowing we would be spending the night.  The ER got her port started, blood draw and all the tests going to see what is going on. She had 3 nose swabs (her least favorite procedure, blood cultures, urine tests and lab work. Her ANC was 178! Daddy did the night shift with Presley and got her settled into her room on the 5th floor of Sunrise Children's Hospital. 

All the test results came back negative, leaving all of us to believe that Presley has a virus. Virus just has to run their course. She's had a nasty cough.

It has almost been 10 months since we had to stay at the hospital. It's always a reminder that cancer is still in our lives. Being on Maintenance drugs (oral chemo) has been so nice. Presley has felt great and loves only having to go to clinic once a month. This time of year usually something comes up. We have been to the ER a few times with a fever but her ANC (white blood count) has been high enough for us to go home.

With it being 10 months in-between hospital stays it's easy to forget how hard it is for a family during those days. Crew being passed around from daddy and sitters and Paul and I taking turns at the hospital.  Children under 8 are not allowed on the 5th floor (oncology kids). The kids are missing each other. Crew keeps talking about Dede (sister) and when she’s coming home to play with him and Presley has multiple times told me that she misses Crewee!

I went home last night to be with Crew and I just don't even like to be home. Walking by Presley's room and it being empty leaves a strange feeling in my heart. Its hard to see your children sick and in the hospital. As a mother you just want your children doing what other children are doing. I know it's only for a week or a few days so I remind myself it won't be forever.  Presley is just not the same while here.

The hospital is good here but so hard when we compare to it PCH. In my mind PCH is the best hospital. The doctors, nurses and just the feeling at the hospital are something hard to describe. The food here is horrible. Can't wait to eat normal food again!

Today looks like we might get to go home.  She has been fever free for more than 24 hours. I know the docs would like to see her ANC a little higher but this girl needs a break. She is on a chemo hold and that should help to get her numbers back up. Her red blood cells and platelets are hanging on they haven't dropped too low.

On wed, Build-A-Bear came and let her pick out a bear and an outfit! Her other high light of this trip was when Queen Elsa came to play with her. She loved getting to play princess! A special thanks to the Hansen's who always know just what to do to brighten her day!

This is usually a very good sign that its time to go home. When she does not want to be in there room and wants to be riding bikes in the halls. And I might add it takes special talent to ride a bike with an IV pole!

Thanks to the babysitter, meals delivers and all of you have prayed and check in on us. We know we can't do this battle alone it always takes a small army! Thanks for your continued love and support. We look forward to the day that cancer is a memory and not an everyday life drama.

Sept, Oct, Nov and December Clinic visits

This fall and winter has just flown by in a wink! I'm so thankful for that. It's the back and forth for clinic and daddy's new job that is keeping us on our toes. Here is an over view with a few pictures from the last few months of clinic! Her numbers and ANC have been right where the doctors would like to see them until December. It was a surprise to hear her ANC was 100. We almost forgot how to wear masks! (I wish) Presley was put on a chemo hold to help her numbers to rebound or go back up. I'm always talking "her numbers". Her numbers being her blood work. The 4 that numbers that we look at the most, red blood cells, platelets, white blood cells and her ANC. Since last January (right after she started maintenance) when her numbers did a huge dive and they thought that maybe she had relapsed, Doctor Fluchel has slowly been increasing her oral chemo to get to that magical place of immune suppressed..not too high or two low. It really is magic! They want her ANC to be 500-1500. Presley's is usually 2000-3000.

September- Clinic in St. George

October- Clinic in St. George

November- We went to clinic is SLC 

Clinic was so long this time. We did the usually chemo check and getting put out for her LP and getting chemo. We added an appointment to the urologist. Presley has been getting quite a few UTIs. so with Doc Fluchels help we are trying to figure out whats going on. The next time we go to clinic and have an LP they are going to do a scope and see if they can find anything going on that would explain the UTI's.

December - Clinic in St George

We are counting down the days until she is done. We have 5 more clinic visits! Jan, Feb, March, April, May! May we will go to clinic in the first part of the month and then toward the end of the month remove her port and stop chemotherapy treatment.
Its a happy but scary place. Happy that she will be done with this long road of chemo but so scary that we then worry about that R word.

Grand Canyon Airline Holiday Party

We had a great time at the Family of Flight Holiday Hoedown! The party was at Stoney's Rockin' Country Saloon on the Vegas Strip! We had a BBQ for dinner, raffles, mechanical bull and lots of dancing. Paul and I won the Vegas Wedding package! Just what we needed and have always dreamed of! Yikes! Haha! It was great to spend the evening with all of Paul's co-workers! What a great group of fun pilots! Thankful for these guys and their families! 

Believe

One of my favorite traditions is to send out a Christmas card each year. I'm forever in debt to sweet Wendi for always designing them and pretty much doing all the hard work to get them here every year. I love to receive card each year too. May you all have a very Merry Christmas. We are so very blessed. 2014 has been a wonderful year for us. This year was a year of health, family friends and Paul landing his first pilot job! We have so much be be thankful for.