I am sorry to report that our Ally is really suffering the effects of a month long round of Vincristin. Being at the end of the round, it has all piled up and compounded in her system. My loyal followers may remember how it affected her the first month... and once again we are seeing all the effects again. Belly pain/constipation... joint pain/back pain...lack of sleeping...and not removing herself from the couch. She is having trouble walking as her knees hurt so bad, it is a struggle just to walk to the bathroom. I took the kids over to my sister's house today so that I could run to the grocery store and I seriously considered carrying her into the house. She has gained quite a bit of weight from the steroids, so I reconsidered and she made it in to their couch on her own.
I wish I could report better news, but it is what it is. We are waiting for her to come out of the steroid fog. I am thinking that she is maybe about 10% better today...just a smidgen of talking instead of none. We spent our afternoon trying to do a 500 piece puzzle, whew. And I should have been doing a thousand other things, but I just sat right with her and rubbed her knees. I feel so bad for her...I am always wanting to take her pain away. She has been refusing the Tylenol with Codeine (a lot of kids take it just to sleep) but tonight somehow we coerced her to take it. I hope it works. My dear husband was up with her last night and they both tried to sleep in the recliners but weren't too successful. He also gave me a break this evening and sent Evan and I to the WSU game. It's always good to get out. Which reminds me that I have to go tell him to go to bed right now, because we both keep staying up until 1am every night trying to get holiday stuff done. I am ready for January to arrive.
I am hoping that these side effects get better and not worse so that we can try to enjoy Christmas with a happy girl.
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I did get two smiles and a laugh or two out of her today, when she and Carly were eating some cheese balls. They kept stealing from each other. :) Both were quite a fan of them...
ReplyDeleteNot quite sure I am ready for January, but it will be kind of nice to have the Christmas madness behind us. Let's hope we can just all enjoy the holiday!
Praying for you Janel. Keep your eye on the prize. You *will* get there.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
A
Did you say puzzle?? I love to do puzzles! Bad thing is, once I start, forget about anything else getting done. I cant pull myself away! If Ally gets the itch do another one, PLEASE tell her to call Miss Paula!
ReplyDeleteGlad you and Evan got out to cheer on your Raiders!!
You just have to keep believing that there will be better days, but don't wish away these either. I always tell each parent that one good I always see with cancer is that it forces us to slow down, it makes us learn (or remember) what is truely important in life. Even though Ally is going through so much, your family has gained an appreciation for life and love far greater than most parents will ever gain. Take care and I hope not to see you soon (at least as an in-pt.). Come up and visit when your in the clinic though
ReplyDeleteDuring Maggie's steroid weeks (and Vincristine) we sometimes have given Maggie Benedryl or Ativan to help her sleep. Though it might not take the pain away, it does allow us to get some shut eye. During the really tough weeks that we've had with those two drug we gave her a dose of the one when she went to bed and a dose of the other when she woke up in the middle of the night. It was the only thing that has helped us to survive sleepless nights.
ReplyDeleteWe continue to pray for you all and hope you have a Merry Christmas.