Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Home Stretch

Starting off with the good, good news: Last week Julia had her scans done to check for any signs of cancer and she's now two for two - all clear!

She had her scheduled triple dose of chemo yesterday and she's feeling some effects right away, mainly lack of appetite and nausea. We may start adding some supplemental nighttime feedings back in to try to stay ahead of her getting too weak from not getting enough nourishment.

When she's not feeling the best, she usually has a furry friend to keep her company.


We're getting excited about the light at the end of the tunnel. Julia has three weeks off and then goes into the hospital the first week in May for her last week-long chemo. Then she just has two more outpatient chemo days like she had yesterday and ending with scans in mid June to confirm the stoppage of treatments. If the scans are clear we'll end it all with surgery to remove Julia's lovely contraptions she's acquired over these months.

Julia's friend Carina is currently enduring an extended hospital stay for her treatment and after Julia's chemo on Monday, we decided to stop in and visit.

We brought a gift that we had worked together as a family to make. Julia was in charge of the glue gun - a job that she took very seriously. She wasn't really aiming it at Amanda, she was flexing to show off her gunning skills and maybe got a bit too close to her mother's face.

Best of luck to Carina over the next several weeks! If anyone has any extra happy thoughts or prayers laying around, feel free to send them her way. If interested in keeping up with Carina's journey, her Caring Bridge site is located here.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

You have a very beautiful young lady!! Wishing her the best of luck in the next few weeks!! Glad to see that you are in the home stretch!

Anonymous said...

Happy thoughts to all! You know, hearing things are going well is awesome, but seeing it in print helps to make the thoughts sink in. Our prayers are always with all of you, and Carina and her family. Also, to other family and friends going through cancer and all of the treatments. Hang in there everyone. Hugs and kisses, Grandma Beth

Anonymous said...

Julia,
Everyone at Westside and your class were so excited to get the email your mom sent me about the clear scan and to read it again here. It is so great that you are at school so much and also getting to enjoy the outdoors again. You are doing so well in your fancy Skippy braces too. You are an amazing person!!! Continued well wishes!!!

Mrs. Andersen and your classmates

Anonymous said...

I am so happy to read this great news. What a great result to such hard, hard work, planning, effort, and an abundance of prayers. Yeah! Book club Beth