Progress on Daily Chemo

We are about half way through Ellie's Consolidation phase, which includes daily oral chemo at home. Going into this month we were a little worried because nausea and vomiting can be a side effect. And, let's face it, a child vomiting is one of the most miserable things to deal with. Just ask this dad. 

I am happy to report however, that Ellie has not vomited once! Hallelujah! We suspect that she is having some nausea because of a decreased appetite, but we cannot be certain. All we know is that the towel on her floor next to her crib is still dry. This is such a relief, because once Ellie reaches the Maintenance phase of treatment, she will be on daily oral chemo for about two years. Knowing how well she is handling it now brings us much relief for the future.

Is Ellie having any side effects? Other than the obvious hair loss and droopy eyelids, it's hard to say. She has had a significant decrease in appetite, but she also currently has a cold. So, it is really hard to determine why she does not want to eat. She is losing too much weight, and does not want to eat ANY of the high calorie/fattening things that we give her, so we are getting a prescription for an appetite stimulant. And yes, she did get a cold about a week ago. But, no fever at all. Even though the congestion is annoying for her, we are grateful that it has not developed into anything more serious. There are some minor mood swings and stubbornness, but we really think that is just because she is two years old.

She had physical therapy yesterday, and Eva and Nora came along too. It was so much fun for all three of them. Ellie's therapist has pretty much reached rock star status in our home, so the older girls were desperate to meet her and see what all this physical therapy business was about. 

Ellie: "When can I see Miss Abby?" 

Me: "On Monday."

Ellie: "Is it Monday yet? When is it Monday?"

And over, and over, and over. Until finally, it was Monday.

We will return again next Monday. At that point, we will probably space out her visits because she is progressing so well. Although I will be happy to have one less appointment each week, I know that Ellie will be sad to not regularly see Miss Abby. 

Tomorrow is kind of a big day. Ellie is getting her hair cut. It will not be a complete shave, but it definitely will be shorter. As much as I love my little girl, and as much as she is still our beautiful Ellie, she is definitely rockin' some Smeagol/Gollum hair. This cut will just make it all a little more uniform until she looses all of it, probably later this summer. I will more than likely post more pictures later this week, after her lumbar puncture (LP) on Thursday. Until then, just try to resist this cuteness.