My next trip

After a 4 day weekend at home it was time to go back to the hospital. Odette was not a happy camper. (This picture I actually took at the hospital, but I figured that it depicted her mood of unhappiness!) Ken took her this time alone so that I could have an emotional and hopefully a physical break away for a couple of days. All parties at home are emotionally exhausted and we are all basically running on empty. Hopefully the fumes can keep us going for a while! She has been having a hard time since the last round of chemo that gave her awful sores in her mouth to her stomach and into her intestines. She hasn't eaten "real" food for 3 weeks now, except to lick a Popsicle-who can resist those?! Even her formula is rough on her and she pukes at least once a day. However, before she left the hospital last time, and since she has been at home with her "sibling medicine", she has been happy despite the sick feelings. She loves to watch the other kids, roll around on the floor to try and be right next to them, and when they are gone, her disposition completely changes. I was so excited when we got her to smile and laugh so big. Deep down below the hurt and illness, our very happy, patient, pleasant little girl still exists. It just takes a lot of work to get her out.

Odette will probably be in the hospital for about 8 days unless her counts don't come up and then they will just start the next round of chemo and keep her there. I personally hope they come up really high so that maybe we can take a pit stop at the zoo with her on the way home and show her the orangutans that I think she has previously looked like with her red hair...now pretty much nonexistent. I guess if we don't make it this time, it isn't like we won't be going up town again soon and who knows, maybe it will be cooler!