Thank you all for your wonderful words of congratulations and support. We are truly amazed and relieved and happy to be able to celebrate Amanda's REMISSION this Christmas. This has been my goal all along, to be cancer free by Christmas.
However, we are not done yet. The fact that she had metastatic spots in her lungs at diagnosis means she is at high risk for the cancer to come back. In order to avoid this we will continue the chemo through the month of February. She handles the chemo very well and has not had any major side effects from the chemo yet (no hearing loss or damage to heart tissue, etc.) so it makes sense to keep going. We can't guarantee it won't come back, it might, but we are throwing the big guns at her now in hopes to avoid a recurrence. (Sorry Flicka, we still have to give her shots, for a little while longer at least.)
We are scheduled to get out of the hospital tomorrow in time to celebrate Christmas. We are looking forward to regaining health in the New Year and hope that by summer we will simply be going in to the clinic for blood work once in a while instead of twice a week.
Please note the new addition on the left of the blog page. We are planning on walking in the March for Babies again this year. Some might think that we would change our focus now from Preemie Prevention to Cancer but you see, it is all related! Hepatoblastoma is a rare cancer but there is a higher percentage of preemies who get it than the rest of the population. Is it due to the premature liver cells? Is it due to the oxygen that is given in the NICU? More needs to be researched about this particular topic. Would Amanda have had cancer at all had she been born full-term? We will never know. BUT, we can help find the answers to those questions so that maybe in the future other families can be spared what we have gone through in the past 2-1/2 years.
Thank you all for your continued support. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel but we are not out in the clear just yet. Rest assured that Amanda remains happy, energetic and too smart for MY own good!
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3 comments:
Mere! I have been plagued by a week of TOO MUCH to accomplish, and I headed over here to tonight to read, well, a post or 2, not 4 since my last visit. And one spectaucarly lovely one squished in amongst the other three. I am so very happy to hear that on your car ride home for Christmas with Manda you will drive away from the hospital knowing the word remission is real.
I know there is still a long road to travel until February, but you have come so far and are so very close to your dream of a less frequent visit to the blood work lab, and to Manda feeling better for spring and summer.
This is the Christmas miracle I most wanted to witness in my own heart, and I am overjoyed to hear that you'll be able to be at home for Christmas with your sweet, lovely Manda.
Merry Christmas to you all!
xoxo
Okay, well at least you are on the countdown to no more pokes! I am still so happy that Manda is in remission and I am praying that February and the remaining chemo speeds by quickly. You have beaten the odds so many times. I know you'll continue to do so. I'm rejoicing with you this Christmas!
And I'm checking out the March for Babies right now. I love your reason for participating and I can't wait to find out more.
xo
Flicka
I found your blog through Flicka and wanted to say I think its beyond wonderful to hear the word remission! My cousin's daughter has been dealing with something similar and we are awaiting/hoping for a similarly positive result soon.
What a lovely gift. Merry Christmas.
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