Moments that Matter Most

I have to vent, so if you don't like to hear me vent, you may skip this post.

This week alone I have heard three too many times, "The cancer is back."

Oh how I ABSOLUTELY DESPISE THOSE FOUR WORDS!

My heart breaks when the next words are, "It's terminal or there isn't much we can do for it."

No mother or father should ever have to hear those words when discussing their child.

So, as always this is a reminder to me to take time and enjoy the moments that matter the most.

You NEVER know when those you love most will be gone from you.

And yes you will be with them again, but I can guarantee you will want to have wonderful memories to pull strength from until that time.

Don't take for granted what might be gone tomorrow.

Watch
Moments-that-matter-most
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What Matters Most

This is why...

...I don't particularly like giving Odette her "make her feel hungry" medicine.

It works a lot like Benedryl and she takes it three times a day, so she isn't just feeling hungry, she is very sleepy.  I find her asleep all over the house.  I don't know how comfortable that is, to sleep with the broom, but she was out for a few hours.  Obviously she had been eating something as well because I didn't even get her face cleaned before she was out.

The only plus side is she has been sleeping through the night!  One whole week of uninterrupted sleep at night for mommy as well!

Another mile stone

 A few months ago when I knew that we would be going to Odette's regular check up the day after her one year of cancer free celebration, I knew that I wanted to do something to take to the other families who are traveling the hardest part of the cancer road right now.  Since I have a bunch of girls, we thought we would make a bunch of hair bows.  However, I didn't want to just drop them in a basket.  Then I remembered one of the things that I had a hard time with was back then.  You couldn't bring real flowers into the cancer part of the hospital.  So, we made flowers that could be brought to the hospital.  Thanks to a few friends, we got two pots made-one for the inpatients and one for the outpatients.  I think that they are the prettiest bouquet of flowers!  I think they were quite the hit. We attached a note from Odette. 

 

Today Odette had to get her blood tested.  Usually it isn't a big deal, but she totally freaked out and was screaming and crying.  Didn't help that we had a new phlebotomist and he missed her vein the first time.   However, Odette also had to have an echo done on her heart as well, just to check that all is still okay.  It looked great and she lay perfectly still the entire 20 minutes!

We got similar news as yesterday from the oncology doctors.

Odette is just a little tike.  She looks healthy and is very happy, but we are really concerned about her weight.

Instead of going to check ups every three months, we go back in two months to see if medicine is helping her to eat and discuss what Endo discovers in a couple of weeks.  That was the hard part of the visit.

Today's appointment was awesome when we got to visit with some of our very favorite nurses and cleaning staff at the hospital.  I am so thankful for the PCMC staff who is more than just friends, they are family and we love them! 

GI frustration

It is the week of doctor visits.

Today Odette went to see Dr. Pohl, the GI doctor.

As soon as I saw what the scale said, I knew there wasn't going to be any good news coming.

Of course Odette is the "cutest little stink" but that was the end of happy.

Her weight is the same as it has been for months. (10.1 kg)

Not good to be the size of an 18 month old or younger.

I am having a hard time understanding why she isn't getting bigger AT ALL!  

She eats a big variety of foods now, but I guess not enough.

She is super active-like the energizer bunny!

She does have a very little dad.

No more blabbing...The doctor says:

You need to go and see the Endocrinologist--this appointment luckily I already had set up for the first part of August.  If there isn't a hormone problem we are gonna have to put a G-tube in.  For now we will have her start taking the periactin (make you feel super hungry medicine) and see if that will help with calorie intake.

He assured me that it isn't anything that I am not doing.  Many kids struggle to play "catch up" after going through an ordeal as Odette did and need some more help.

So I am not sure what to pray for;  that it is a hormone problem (I haven't heard happy things about children on hormone therapy) or that we have a g-tube to feed her extra calories a day.  Neither one sounds to exciting, but as I have learned, the Lord knows what is best and whatever happens it will be okay.

After all, Odette is a fighter.

Neither of the two above are as hard as cancer...

Odette had way to much fun walking through Target as a quick stop after our appointment.  She loved wearing the baseball "hat" and driving the truck through the isles.  I think she looks like a little darth vador in the first picture. :)

July 4th

Last year we celebrated freedom from chemo along with the AWESOME FREEDOM of our Country.

This year, we celebrated these same things along with freedom from cancer!

Odette absolutely loved the parade, the food, the fireworks, the slide...and a barrel of monkeys!