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January 3, 2006 -- Happy New Year!!! The days following Katie's last oncology appointment were probably some of the more stressful days we've had since Katie's diagnosis. Although Dr. Leahy told me not to worry about her while blood cell (WBC) count in her last CBC, they are haunting me. As many of you know, Katie was diagnosed on Christmas eve three years ago. And here we were, a few days before Christmas, and her WBC count is elevated -- which is one thing that could indicate leukemia being present. Since Katie's diagnosis, John and I tend to overdo it with Christmas for the kids. Starting with the day after Thanksgiving (which is around when Katie started showing signs of serious illness in 2002), the decorations come out and the holiday music starts playing. We try to make each day the week leading up to Christmas an event at our house, with the Christmas movies and music playing, cookies baking, and the kids making ornaments for our tree. The inside of our house turns into the Griswold's at Christmas! The kids love it, and the house is filled with the joy of Christmas. This Christmas was different. The cookbook didn't to go to print until almost mid-December which held up my Christmas shopping and decorating. A week later, I pinched a nerve in my neck which made it difficult to finish decorating, and wrap gifts. Then Katie got sick with a VERY high fever complete with hallucinations, a nasty cough, and then an ear infection in both ears. They Kyle and I caught whatever she had and we were all on antibiotics. Katie missed a week of school and wasn't up to making the decorations for the tree or helping me bake. She just laid on the couch watching movies and sleeping. The whole thing put John and I in a 'weird worrying funk' with flashbacks of Christmas 2002. Katie looks and feels MUCH better, as do Kyle and I. Although we didn't get to do most the things we wanted to do over the past couple of weeks, we all enjoyed Christmas. Being on treatment is very stressful and being OT has it's own kind of stress that's just as tough at times. It does get better and easier as each month passes, until something like the abnormal CBC with a high white blood cell count happens. It's hard to explain the feelings and thoughts that immerge, but I know those who have been where we are know what I'm talking about. Here's to a new year filled with joy, good health, good CBC's and no stress!!! NEXT: January 17, 2006 -- OT visit #10 |
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