Round 3 in the books

I am sitting in a darkened hospital room at LPCH watching G sleep.  Her blood counts came up sufficiently today so that they could give her round 3 of her 3 drug chemo.  This will put us almost 3 weeks behind.  If the last two illness had not occurred, we would be starting number 4 this wednesday.  Now I know why the docs said not to put them on our calendar, at least not in pen.  She had a very good day today.  We had lots of fun playing in her room, doing puzzles, cutting everything with scissors (including my hair, she laughed and said I look like swiss cheese).  She even did some squats and pushups with me, helping me get ready for the Crossfit for Kelvin workout tomorrow.  Of course no normal pushups would do, hers were ballerina mermaid princess pushups.  About 7:00pm she said she was starting to get a stomach ache and she immediately fell asleep.  I hope this means that her body is just recovering from the drugs she was given today.  They have not affected her this fast before so it makes me worried that she was not really ready for the chemo.  I guess only time will tell.  And I guess it is my job to sit here and worry.  Damn I wish I had a different job.
Thanks again for all the beautiful gifts and support.  It is really helping us out right now.  If any of you are looking for something to do tomorrow, Annie Sakamoto, the owner of Crossfit Santa Cruz Central is holding a benefit for one of her trainers who was stricken with lymphoma.  It is between 9 am and 2 pm with lunch and t-shirts and some fun Crossfit workouts.  I am hoping that she wakes up feeling ok tomorrow so I can sneak out of here for a couple of hours and represent Team G.

Team G


Adam

And the pendulum swings back...

12 hours after our fantastic news that the tumor is shrinking, Gabriella walked into our bedroom with a fever.  We checked it throughout the night and just before 5:00am Wednesday morning it reached the magic mark of 102.1 and I packed her up and we drove to Dominican ER.  By noon G and Kris were in LPCH's ambulance for another trip over the hill.  The doctors at Packard think she may have picked up a Urinary Tract Infection but as of now the tests are inconclusive.  The good news is that her body was able to fight the infection.  That indicates that her immune system is still functioning, just suppressed by the chemo.  Kris stayed with her in the hospital last night and said that by 11:00 pm here fever broke (with the help of some serious antibiotics) and they are hoping to resume chemo tomorrow morning if she can remain afebrile for 48 hours.

Grandma and Grandpa (my parents) showed up yesterday and are helping with Bridget and the rest of the logistics necessary when we are in the hospital.  I have to admit this is an emotional roller coaster that I never imagined.  To watch G go through the pain, sickness, fever, fear is complete torture.  Just when we think that we won't be able to take another minute, it breaks.  Something happens that lightens the load.  Whether it is the kindness of a friend or stranger, the strength of our child, or news that the treatment is working, it saves us.  It realigns us and keeps us going.  We get a great deal of kind words from people but realistically we are doing what we have to do and it is truly the kindness of our support system that is pushing through this.

Here is the link to the Santa Cruz sentinels home page, the lower left hand corner has linked the Community Media Lab to this blog.  I'm not sure what it is about but I like the fact that they have taken an interest in our story and hopefully it will just lead to more support and good thoughts and prayers for G.

Team G


Adam

Yes, I almost was a patient over highway 17.
The ambulance ride might be Adam's permanent job. 

Bridget in the Forever Young Zone making G a smoothie.  

G in her pretty new dress from the Hartfield's.

THE TUMOR IS SHRINKING!!!

We've finally gotten some amazing news since this whole journey has started!!!  Anxiously waiting to hear from the doctors yesterday, we got the call that Gabriella's ANC count went up to 2000 and we were going ahead with her overnight chemo this week.  But the big news we were waiting on came a little before noon today.  The preliminary results of the tests done on Friday show that Gabriella's tumor has significantly shrunk...SIGNIFICANTLY SHRUNK!!  In fact, Dr. Aftandillian told us that "It's shrunk...if not gone"!!!  WOW, it's working.  Adam and I are elated to know that the chemo is working.  It's killing the cancer.  We won't stop until every cancer cell is gone and we get our healthy little girl back.   I remember seeing the MRI and how big this tumor was just a couple of months ago.  That image will be forever burned in my mind.  It will be settling to see the new images and see how small her tumor has gotten.    

With any positive news comes some apprehension.  There are so many questions that I still have.  How is this going to effect the rest of her treatment?  What about the radiation?  Her ovaries?  Future surgeries?   The meeting for May 29th is still happening.  All of the doctors involved in Gabriella's care will meet to discuss her progress and our next steps.  We will be meeting with them the next day, May 30th and I expect the majority of my current questions will be answered.  There is still so much more information to collect, to process and to evaluate.  I still have trouble catching my breath at times.  It's hardly the end but it's a wonderful victory and of course we are celebrating this one!




The past couple of days have been a mini vacation for us.  We've had a wonderful time playing on the beach with our great friends John and Una; more lovingly known as Uncle Johnny and Auntie Una who rented a house on Rio Del Mar beach.  Since we haven't been able to go to far, any time away from home has been like a vacation.  On the lead of Uncle Johnny, we have been busy building sand castles (or fortresses) every day and trying to keep Bridget from crushing them!  We've watched dolphins swim by, pelicans diving for fish, eaten sand filled Pirate Booty, made sand cookies and jumped over endless waves crashing on the beach.  Auntie Una and Bridget have been working hard on making piles of white shells and black rocks while we dug up hundreds of sand fleas.  Gross but very entertaining for the girls and a favorite beach memory for me.  It's amazing how little it takes to appreciate life these days.

As Grandpa said today, "That little girl has gone through hell and deserves a lot of fun times".  We really agree and are having as much fun as we can but taking into consideration that we can't wear her out.  The goal is to to keep her healthy but give her as normal of a life as possible under these circumstances.  It's such a fine balance right now.  We walk the line more severe than we did just a few months ago.  As a parent, you want to make the right decisions for your kids and help them make the right choices.  In this situation, there is so much more relying on our decisions.

I am still so hopeful and positive!!!

TEAM G is AWESOME!!!

My Cuties!

MRI Done Today!!

I don't know, maybe it's the little victories that will get us through this. As we were coming back from our PET scan today, the people from MRI asked us, "Did you know she's getting her MRI done right now?". I said, "Um, yeah!". Apparently there was a patient schedule today who had to be rescheduled because he/she ate lunch!! Talk about a blessing!! I literally began to cry with happiness. Whether it was a little bit of hope in this crazy journey or knowing that our hard work had paid off..whatever it was, it came to us as a blessing. All the effort to get her scheduled for these tests on the same day paid off, and not a moment too soon. We tried to keep her sleeping in the PACU so they could get the MRI ready but she woke up... pleasant. She asked for rice crispy treats, water and cinnamon toast crunch. I did my best to distract her and refocus on something else. She got a little upset but off we went to the MRI. They had to give her meds again to go back to sleep. First a little Versed then Propofol. I'm familiar with Propofol because we use it in the ICU often. They told us about 2 hours. Adam and I actually got to go across the street and have dinner at California Cafe, a date? It was alone time and it was wonderful. Bridget went home earlier with Nana and Papa for a short nap and some play time. As we were sitting having dinner, Packard called me. I almost had a heart attack just seeing their number on my caller ID. They were finished earlier than predicted. So, we gobbled up, paid the bill, ran back to the hospital, got cramps from just eating, and now we are waiting for her to get to the PACU again to recover. Then we go home. Results? Probably next week. I know the tumor has shrunk. I can't see it nd the doctors can't feel it. I AM HOPEFUL.

PET SCAN

As of now, Gabriella is having her PET/CT test done. Even after 100 phone calls of pleading and begging to the radiology department, oncology clinic, doctors, nurses, managers, we were not able to get her MRI done on the same day. Damn it. We have to come back on Tuesday. Damn them. I just don't get it. They even knew that we were going to have these tests months ago. It makes me want to pull my hair out. She has to have more anesthesia on Tuesday. I thought this time maybe the whole process would be a little easier because she's done it before. I was wrong. It just doesn't get any easier to see your child poked, prodded, and put to sleep against her will. She's getting the radioactive glucose again which has to circulate through her system for an hour before they start. Great, more poison being put into my little girl not to mention the radiation. I can't think about that anymore. The alternative is not an option. So, we wait....

No Overnight Tonight

Gabriella's ANC was still low from yesterday's blood work.  It's gone back down since our discharge on Saturday.  She's still fighting this virus.  This means that they couldn't give her her overnight chemo (the combination of 3 meds), the same three meds they couldn't give her last week because of her neutropenic fever.  Ugg.  However, she did get her weekly vincristine today and sent us home.  At least that's something.  At least she gets a little break.  I just don't want to give her cancer any chance to grow further by delaying her chemo treatments.  It's a very fine balance and we are walking a tight rope every day.  

The doctors say these "setbacks" are common.  They don't actually consider them setbacks but just part of a cancer patients life.

So far, Friday (the 18th) we are scheduled for a PET/CT at noon and Tuesday (the 22nd) will be the MRI.  I'm sure that will change as everything else has.  I feel like a ping-pong ball being bounced around everywhere at every moment.  Surprisingly, I don't mind.   It's just a part of this whole journey to get my girl well and I'm willing to do whatever it takes however exhausting it might be.  It's a very strong trust that one must have in the medical system.  Yes, we are doing research and making sure we ask the right questions but at some points, we have to let go and trust that she is getting the right treatment.  It's a VERY hard thing to do especially when we know so much about the medical field.  We just don't know very much about cancer...but we are learning...and learning fast.

Tomorrow we have a "rest" day.

Kristin

PS.  A very special thanks to Michelle and Cara for an Amazing Mama's Night Out!!!  Pics to come.
AND, thanks to Sue for planting our ice plant.  Amazing friends we have!

To my Kris

I wanted to put this on the blog so the people who are supporting us will know ow much you mean to me, to us, to the family you have raised and nurtured.  For the last ten years it has been us.  You and me.  Through times that I wished would never end to times that we cannot get through fast enough.  But it always has been us.  I am so proud of the mother you are.  It brings me to my knees to watch you with our girls.  Your patience and understanding with them is remarkable.  One word that always come to mind when I think of you is grace.  Grace in every meaning of the word.  Grace in movement, action and thought.  Right now we are faced with the fight of our lives and I know that I will battle and survive, you will come through with grace.  And our angel will be better for it.  We all will be better for it.  We all are better because you are in our lives.
I love you with everything I have.

Team G


Adam

Kris, G and Boudrow in Oklahoma.

El Chorro, Spain

Paris, France.  The trip where we got engaged. 

Going for a hike at the Grandparents house.

Pregnant and sick.

Our trip to Kauai.

Kris and Charlie, our first dog.

Kris and Brit

Climbing Cathedral Peak, Yosemite

Gibraltar with the friendly monkeys.

Gabriella.

Camping in Joshua Tree.

In Philadelphia with nephew Theo (a cancer survivor)
and nieces Elizabeth and Corinne.

Coming home from work at CHO.

Mendocino, first anniversary. 

Rappelling.

Hiking around in Tahoe with G.

At a wedding.