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May 19, 2005 -- OT visit #2 KATIE IS A 2 MONTH SURVIVOR!! Katie had her OT appointment on Tuesday, May 17. Her blood counts came back NORMAL!!! Her ANC was 3796, WBC 7.3, Hgb 12.0 and Plt 314. WAHOO!! We are thrilled! It is still very stressful for us as we anticipate each monthly CBC. I guess we're always waiting for the other shoe to drop. There is a HUGE sigh of relief when her blood counts look good! This is the first time we've seen "NORMAL" counts for her!!! Katie still shows signs of neuropathy (side effect of the vincristine**) which has not improved since her treatment ended. When Katie and Kyle are running around the house, their foot steps sound the same -- like a slapping sound. In Kyle case, he hasn't developed his muscles for the proper heel-to-toe movement yet. With Katie, the muscles and nerves were weakened from the vincristine and need to be strengthened. She'll be starting her physical therapy soon. Katie's eating habits are still poor. She says she feels hungry often and craves very salty or bitter foods. She has been eating whole lemons (rind and all) without even showing a pucker!! When I mentioned this to the NP at the clinic on Tuesday, she said that her sense of taste is still off and her taste buds haven't regenerated yet (again from the chemo). This will gradually improve over time. Katie's weight has been steadily gaining with little or no growth in her height, which is apparently very common when kids first go OT. We need to start her following the new food pyramid to assure she is getting all the proper nutrients she needs to be healthy, and less of the things she craves (like white bread and salty foods). She can also start taking a multi-vitamin now. We continue to be hopeful that her cancer is "a thing of the past" and she continues towards being a normal child. Katie is doing very well and she looks good. She is scheduled for her next CBC with a full panel (liver function test, cholesterol, etc.) and a physical with Dr. Julie on June 21. 12TH ANNUAL WISH CLASSIC (benefiting Make-A-Wish) On May 16, the 12th Annual Wish Classic was held at North Hills Country Club to benefit our local Make-A-Wish Foundation chapter. My brother and dad golfed, and my mom, John, Katie and I joined them for dinner. Katie was the "featured wish child". It was a very lovely evening. My dad gave a speech at the dinner. It was such a warm and touching speech that expressed the feelings we all felt from our magical trip to Disney World, and how Make-A-Wish made Katie's dream-trip a reality. It was beautiful!! Thank you, dad!!! The photos from Katie's Wish trip will be on the web site very soon. If you have a chance, please take a look. I don't know how we could have made it through the past two-and-a-half years without all of you!! Thank you again for your continuing prayers and support for our family. We truly appreciate it!! ** "Vincristine is an anti-cancer ("antineoplastic" or "cytotoxic") chemotherapy drug. This medication is classified as a plant alkaloid. Vincristine is given through a vein by intravenous injection (IV push) or infusion (IV). There is no pill form. Some side effects may include: constipation, low blood counts, taste changes, neuropathy, sensory loss, numbness and tingling, and difficulty in walking may last for at least as long as therapy is continued." -- from ChemoCare.com |
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