Today

Some days are altered by the reality of our daughter's battle with this cancer. Today was one of those days. Amanda spent a quiet Sunday at home alternating between fun with her family and small waves of nausea. By late last night the nausea got stronger and I spent a mostly sleepless night beside her as we battled periodic vomiting. By early this morning, as I was waking Anna and Abby to prepare for their school day, she was finally sound asleep and resting well.

Unfortunately that did not last and by 8:30 or 9:00 this morning the nausea had returned as strong as before. Because of my concerns regarding her becoming dehydrated, I made the decision to place a call to our Dr. team. They validated my concerns and asked that I bring her right in. With a new chemo infusion scheduled to begin tomorrow, they wanted to make certain that she was strong enough to begin.

Lab tests were taken as soon as we arrived and IV fluids with an IV nausea medicine were begun. That was just what she needed. Within the hour her stomach had calmed, she was feeling better and eating crackers and sipping Sprite. They determined that our daughter has a touch of stomach flu. Ironic, they told me, that as if Amanda doesn't have enough to battle through, she can still get a cold or the flu like anyone else. The good news was that the nausea was not a reaction or the results of her last infusion, for which we were very thankful.

Lab tests showed that Amanda's counts were good and ready for her infusion in every level except one. Her liver enzyme count was elevated. This is a very common side effect of the infusion that she had. Her counts were not so high that they were in the dangerous levels, but because it is a common side effect, they will be watching it very closely. They do not want to give her another dosage and then raise an already elevated count to a level that could be damaging.

Amanda will have lab work drawn first thing after we arrive tomorrow. (This is the routine each time we go into the hospital.) They will again check all her levels, paying particular attention to the liver enzyme. If it is back in the "normal" range, all will proceed as planned. If it is high, Amanda's next treatment will need to be delayed by one week (we are on a "weekly" cycle that is flexible but changes or delays are done on the week, not day by day).

Please keep our daughter and particularly her liver counts in your prayers. The nurses tell me that delays are common with a chemo level as strong as Amanda is receiving, but we would always hope that she was able to manage each treatment with as few delays as possible.

On behalf of our daughter,
Amanda's mom

And just to let you know...this evening she is eating macaroni and cheese, "bowling" with her sisters (a computer game) and doing well. We are very grateful.