Interim Phase I update :-)

Tuesday started out very early at 5:00 am. Liz needed to be down in clinic for her 6:30 am check-in time. The actual procedure time was 8:30 am, she was the third in line for her LP (chemo in her spine) and bone marrow biopsy. Great news, her preliminary results show ZERO blasts in her bone marrow meaning that they can not see any cancer cells. YEAH! Elizabeth was allowed to push her own medicine syringe that puts her to sleep. She was told by the doc that no one has pushed it all the way through before falling off to sleep, of course this was a challenge to her and one that I am sad to say she lost. I did get it on video and it is the cutest thing. That sounds really weird to say your child falling off into a drug induced sleep is cute but in some situations you have to find the cute or adorable moments. She always gives a sweet yawn after she closes her eyes and I finally have it on video.

She was admitted and assigned a room, room 539, at 3:30 pm and at this time they started the high dose Methotrexate. She will probably never drink Mt. Dew again because that is the color of her high dose Methotrexate. She made me put her jacket over it so she did not have to look at it, it was making her sick.

Elizabeth has had very strong chemos this time around and is having minimal side effects due to your continued prayers. Her potassium level is low and they are giving her a higher dose of it through her port. She also had an inch long potassium pill this morning. We were allowed to cut it in half for her to take but I can see now she still has not taken it. :-( She is trying to rub the edges smooth from where we cut it so she will not feel it go down her throat. She is such a trooper I can't help but marvel at her spirit and her little tricks. She really is a funny kid. :-D

The docs have given her a 24 hour dose of Zofran, her anti-nausea med, so the nurses do not have to interrupt her fluids. The fluids are extremely important because the methotrexated needs to be flushed out of her system ASAP. The 24 hour dose of Zofran gives her a headache so they just give her Tylenol for that.

As devastating as Elizabeth's diagnoses is to me, it is also a wonderful gift of time. I do not allow time to slow down unless I am forced to make it slow down. This is the gift God has given to me and my family. God has not given us Leukemia to deal with, he has given us the wonderful gift of time. God is about relationships. He is our strength and our father. He loves us more than we can ever begin to imagine. God loves us more than we love our own children. He sent his only son to die for us, I know I could not do that, I do not have that all encompassing agape love.

Please continue to pray for the minimal side effects of all the drugs.
Her caregivers.
Please also pray for her friend and classmate Joel Brown who also has ALL.
Please pray for the family of her teacher, Mr. Daugherty. He lost his battle to Lymphoma yesterday.
All the children and families on the 5th floor of children's.

Blessings,
Christine