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First we have added a few photos to January 2008, enjoy.

Today Benjamin got up early (6:30) so Lisa and I got him ready to go to Tita’s and the day began. I dropped Benjamin off and then headed to Krispy Kreme to get us a healthy breakfast By the time I got back Allyson and Nana were awake, so we all had breakfast together. Allyson had chicken stew and yogurt and  she took all of her meds. Once we were done with breakfast it was time to give Allyson her infusion of vancomycin (or however you spell it), it take a little more than an hour so we snuggle on the couch and watch some Backyardigans. Allyson is a great trooper and lets Lisa and I do what we need to do to get her infusion going, who knew Lisa and I would become home RNs.

Nana went to get Gramps from my sisters and Allyson was very happy to see him. Lisa and I got a chance to go and get a couples massage and that was very nice. After that we went to get Benjamin. When we got to the house Benjamin was all excited to see Gramps, they have been best buds.

Our good friends Gerry and Linda made dinner for us tonight, it was chicken parm. Linda is a great cook and this dish in one of her specialties  so everyone enjoyed it.

Tomorrow morning we have an 8:45 chemo appointment. Lisa, Gramps and I are going to go with Allyson for this appointment. We will probably be there for an hour or two and then we get to head home and try to relax and have some fun.

Today was the day after a big chemo treatment, and they tend to be a tough days for Allyson. Today was no different. She just kind of lounged around all day. We’d like to see her get up and walk around and play some, but she hasn’t felt like doing much of that just yet. She plays some, but mostly she sits and colors, puts puzzles together, watches TV, or plays with her keyboard.

We had to take Benjamin to the doctor for his one year check up. and he did very well. He is 24lbs 11oz. Dr. Mueller says he is right on target or ahead developmentally in all areas. Unfortunately, he had to get shots today…not much fun for anyone involved. He was tired today because he did not have his afternoon nap…that contributed to some of the fussiness at the doctor’s appointment.

Tomorrow we have no plans. It will be nice to get some things done around the house and just focus on caring for Allyson and playing with Benjamin.

We all got some much needed sleep last night. Benjamin slept until 7am and Allyson slept until 8am. Allyson woke up happy and ready to eat. She had yogurt and of course chicken stew for breakfast (Since we have been in the hospital Allyson has only wanted to eat chicken stew, so we will have to work on getting her to eat other foods). It was my turn to give Allyson her antibiotic, and it really is easy to do.

Today was a first trip to Dr. Rob’s and Dr. Bob’s office. First, the nurses are wonderful. They are very fast and try to be as gentle as possible. The office is pretty cool as doctor’s offices go. It is absolutely a place for kids. There are tv’s and DVD players in every exam room just in case you don’t want to leave the room. The “waiting room” is full of toys…there’s a huge table where kids can do crafts of all sorts (stickers, paints, coloring, etc.) …there’s a snack area…lots of reclining chairs to sit on while you wait for the infusions to finish…games…books…air hockey…etc. Since it was our first day there, Allyson was content to sit on our laps and watch a few of her shows while she got her infusion.

Allyson had to get two of her chemo drugs today which were done very quickly. The one drug knocks her down and we are seeing that tonight We also had to get another transfusion of platelets since hers are still drifting down. A platelet transfusion takes about 2 hours, so we were at the office from 11:30 until about 3:30 and we have our next appointment on Saturday.

Thanks to Kris W. you can now purchase shirts to support Allyson’s Army from cafepress.com Kris designed a great logo that Lisa and I love, thanks Kris!

We marvel at our girl…she’s so brave and strong (just like her grandma…)!

One week ago today we were told that Allyson had cancer. We did not know what type, but we knew that we were being admitted to the hospital.  So much has happened this past week…

Today was a good day…we were able to come home!  We didn’t actually get Allyson home until around four in the afternoon though, but we are here!  She watched an episode of the Backyardigans and then basically crashed on the couch.

This evening we had our first visit from the Home Care Nurse.  Her name was Meredith and she was very nice.  Since Allyson is home now, we have to learn how to administer meds through her port.  I got the first shot at it.  Actually, it was pretty easy.  It does make me a bit anxious knowing I am the one giving her the meds.  Oral meds are one thing, but doing it through her port made me a little nervous.  Amazingly, Allyson just relaxed and slept the whole time (ok, most of the time).  I think she is just thrilled to be in her own home.  Taking the oral meds is another story.  She does not like the taste of them (can’t say that I blame her).  I have to hold her mouth closed until I know she’s swallowed the medication.  I feel so terrible when I have to do that (never really had to do that until now) , but it has to be done.

It is so difficult to watch Allyson go through all of this.  I hope someday soon she’ll begin to understand that we are trying to bring her though this journey to a cure with love and patience.

Tomorrow we go to the oncologist’s office for our first visit.  She gets an infusion of platelets, another dose of chemo, and  a painful shot (also some type of chemo) in her thigh.

Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

So far we have had a good morning / afternoon. Allyson woke up hungry, which is a good thing. After we talked with Dr. Rob we headed down to the RMDR (Ronald McDonald Room) for breakfast and we stayed all the way to lunch time.

Here is a link if you would like more information on what ALL is.

Kris W at Rodgers Townsend (where Brad works) and his wife Nikki are involved with the St. Baldrick’s foundation (www.stbaldricks.org) . St. Baldrick’s raises money to help find cures childhood cancers and has events where people and teams raise money and have their heads shaved. This year’s event is on March 8th at Helen Fitzgeralds (last year this event raised over $200,000). They have organized Allyson’s Army , and have already enlisted volunteers to shave their heads, and have begun gathering donations.

Kate Z. from Wydown Middle School (where Lisa works) runs for Team in Training, a program dedicated to raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through marathons, etc. Kate will be running on June 1st in San Diego with Allyson as her “honored teammate”.

We’ve designated Allyson as our “super trooper”. She is an amazing little girl. She is quite frightened when she has to have some procedure done, no matter how small, but she sits there like a big brave girl. Grandma is surely by her side through all of this…