It's Only Just Begun

Amanda had her first chemotherapy treatment last night. The drug name is Cisplatin. It was given through an IV drip over the course of several hours. She never knew it was happening and we both got the best night's sleep we have had since being here. Today was a day of rest and rehydration. We watched her all day for signs of nausea and she seemed not to have any though she ate light all day. The only problem came with her evening dose of iron which she is getting to treat her anemia. The stuff is foul. I will not deny that and we actually discussed adding a flavor to it with the pharmacist tonight to make it easier for her to take. This did not happen before her dose for tonight was measured out however so when she got it she fought it and gagged and that was the only time she threw up all day. Poor thing. We got her cleaned up and gave her ice chips and water and she settled down with Meow to watch Elmo...again. I cannot tell you how many times we have watched the same four Elmo videos since we arrived on Thursday. Her two favorites are "Up and Down" and "Elmo Potty" which are not the actual titles of the DVDs but rather what SHE calls them. The music is catchy and I find myself humming along to the songs long after the TV has been turned off for the night.
She is obviously feeling better from the biopsy and port placement on Friday. She has been sore and not wanting to sit up for long periods but today she was actually asking to stand up. She asked because she is still quite wobbly on her feet and wanted support. When she was tired she would ask to lie down again.
I told the doctor today that I feel like I can handle the hospital a bit easier than parents of other newly diagnosed kids because I did go through the NICU experience. The difficult thing now is, we have to keep her entertained! Last time we could sit by her isollette and put a hand on her and just watch her breathe and sleep. This time we are blowing bubbles, reading books, swapping out toys when they get too boring, keeping Elmo on from sun up to sun down and responding to her every request. Whew! That will wear you out. Then, when she does sleep I try to read up on the materials the hospital has given me to learn about her condition and how to care for her during chemotherapy. It is going to be a L-O-N-G six months.
Anyway, tomorrow is another dose of chemo only she will get Vincristine and 5-FU. Then, if all goes well, they may send us home! Otherwise, probably Friday. We'll just have to wait and see what tomorrow brings.