clinic 5/4

Day 2 of the 5 days of clinic chemo. I really didnt think that her ANC would be high enough to do it this week ( it was 480 on Friday and was supposed to be at 750 to start the 5 day junk). But Monday morning it was 680 and Dr Lew felt confidant that her counts would come up in the next few days before her body realized it was getting chemo and began dropping again. So we accessed her port and got her started. She has had 2 rounds of these drugs before with very little side effects and this time seems the same. Piper receives Zofran for nausea before they start and then its 2 and a half hours of chemo followed by Mesna, which coats her kidneys. These drugs are especially tough on the kidneys so after the chemo she receives 4 hours of fluids to keep her kidneys flushing it all through. All of this makes for a long day. For some reason I havent felt as overwhelmed with the ickiness of these drugs this time...I can only explain it by saying that I am beginning to fully comprehend what these drugs are doing to those microscopic, horrid leukemia cells hiding out in her little body. So instead of wanting to complain about them I am attempting to appreciate them.

Also, we got the pictures back from Flashes of Hope yesterday and they are AMAZING. I will upload some tomorrow on Chads laptop when he isnt in the throes of last minute Calculus 2 exam studying. Wednesday my mom and dad are taking Piper to clinic for the chemo, giving my back a break. Piper is crawling all over the place and it is quite a workout keeping her on the cleaned up mat and not crawling all over the nasty ground. And eating...wow, eating. She doesnt have a highchair there and the stroller just isnt the same. I swear I have peanut butter in my ears from her lunch. Silly girl was a wonder. I am so very proud of the way she rolls with things, although this really is all her little mind knows. She naps, eats, plays and generally just stays busy and waving. After todays chemo she had enough beads to begin her 4th necklace for Beads of Courage...I will see if I can get a picture of that as well.

We get the keys tomorrow and I plan to clean the apartment while my Mother in Law has Linley after preschool and my mom has Piper. I also plan to go visit that lovely red bullseye for a new showercurtain. The folks who work there will be happy to see me solo without my 2 man/ladies popcorn throwing show. Hopefully by the end of the weekend we will be moved in and semi unpacked. And this round of chemo will be done and working its magic and Chad will be school free for 4 blessed weeks. I. Cannot. Wait.