Day 1 of Delayed Intensification II

We received the call late yesterday that Ally's bloodwork was finally acceptable for her to start treatment again. Her platelets were well above the 75 threshold at 124. So today, Ally and Jerad left for the hospital at 730 am...she will be getting a spinal tap, several chemos, and her monthly infusion of antibiotics. My heart is heavier than normal today. As they walked out the door my tears began. I am missing her first procedure ever today because now Evan has caught the fever that Carly had last Fri/Sat. He is doing alright, but I certainly didn't want to leave him with one of my caregivers and spread the germs to their kids. I imagine he could have already infected half of his school since he came home from school yesterday with the fever and I didn't know he had it. So although, I wanted to be with Ally, I must keep my other children safe and well too. It is so important to me that the siblings never be forgotten or left as an afterthought.


During the spinals, Jerad always stays right up in Ally's face. Like two inches away. She watches for her Daddy and he talks her through it. He is her protector during these scary times. She would choose him to be right there with her. I don't blame her. Daddies are meant to protect and Jerad is about as comforting a person as you can get. So Ally is in good hands today. My biggest regret about not being there is that I am not going to get to hear the Day 1 talk where they tell us everything we can expect for the next eight weeks. They usually go over a calendar with us and talk about side effects, etc. This is going to be a very rough eight weeks that will be punctuated by Ally getting cranial radiation in the middle of the phase (beginning/middle May). I have many questions, debates, and fears about this. I guess they will be answered later when we meet with her Radiation Oncologist in Cincinnati. I asked Jerad to either record the conversations on his phone today or take notes. We'll see. While he is the protector, I am more the keeper of medical information and the person the doctors talk to. I am the researcher and the calendar keeper and the one who has a brainful of information filed away from countless hours spent on the computer....following other kids and learning the best I can to protect Ally in that way. I am the one who asks all the questions. (I know, shocker) It will all work out.

We have been given some sort of strength to get through this ordeal. We will need all the strength we can get to make it through this next phase. Jerad sent me a picture that he took from his cell phone. It was the sky right outside Ally's hospital room window today. He said he thinks someone is peeking out from the sky today and watching over our daughter. And I think he is right.....Praying day 1 goes well. Tonight starts the dreaded steriods. God will help us through.