I've finished uploading and organizing my 990 digital pictures from the trip. I also had 72 developed today off of disposable cameras I used when my battery died. The pictures taken of Mike and Jiminy Cricket are AWESOME! I'll try to get one scanned and posted soon. I believe 1,062 pictures currently is my record - ha. This number tops the pictures taken on our last trip to WDW and those from our cruise 5 years ago. WOW! I take a lot of pictures, I know, but it's one way that Brooke can communicate with us. I like to make her mini photo albums so she can tell us what she saw, what she liked, and what she wants to go back and do next trip. When a person can't talk...you have to find other means. Pictures do the job for Brooke. I am also creating a Disney scrapbook for her. I fully intended on doing it 3 years ago after our first trip there but failed to get it done. So I've been working on it off and on for the past 2 months getting pages pre-made so I can add the pictures. It's looking really cute! She loves it.
Enjoy!!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Who's the leader of the club...
MICKEY MOUSE!
We're home after 8 magical days in the heat and extreme humidity of Florida. We had a blast and Brooke tolerated the week very well. She got tired and we had to keep an eye on her temperature, but overall she was an excellent traveler. Disney is such an incredible place! The cast members are so kind! I love how they tell you to "have a magical day" or "dream magical dreams." And most of them went out of their way to help with Brooke in any way possible. They called her "princess" all the time, which I loved. I got a Guest Assistance card when we got there that allowed us (most of the time) to get in the fast pass line instead of having to wait in the regular line. This was a God send. Without this, we wouldn't have been able to accomplish half of what we did. Thank you WDW for treating the disabled the way they deserve to be treated!
When we got there Saturday, mom, Brooke and I took the Mgical Disney Express bus from the airport to our resort. What fun! Mike drove the rental car. I have zero complaints about our resort. The POP CENTURY is great! Yes, the rooms are small, but we were rarely in them. The food court had good food, the store was great, and the mousekeepers were super efficient. They even left a couple of towel animals for us during our stay. And the icons there ---- so neat! I have so many good pictures. After we got settled in, we went to Downtown Disney so Brooke could spend $250 of her $300 spending money on toys. Ha. You can't imagine how much she loves the Mr. Potato head bar. We now have another potato head and two more boxes of Disney accessories. She looks forward to the toys each trip. (And yes, it was a challenge figuring out how to get everything back home. 4 people, 8 checked suitcases, and 4 carry ons. Mike was thrilled at the amount of our luggage - NOT.)
Sunday it was Magic Kingdom which is always fun. It was crowded but nothing too horrible. Remarkably we got a lot on our "to-do list" accomplished. We saw the shows, rode the rides and of course - had pictures taken with Mickey and Minnie. We figured out on this trip that while Brooke does like Goofy, Max and Donald...she is definitly a MICKEY MOUSE LOVER! Brooke loves MK! It rained for a bit but we just happened to be on the steam boat, so we had cover. That was a nice 20 minute ride.
Monday we were at Hollywood Studios where I finally got to ride the Rockin Roller Coaster. (I love Aerosmith!) Our friend Irshaun, who works for Disney met us there and talked Mike into riding the coaster with us. I never thought I'd get him on another one and I probably never will again. It was INTENSE! WOW! We loved the new Toy Story ride and we got to see Beauty and the Beast, which Brooke loved. We had lunch at the Sci-Fi Drive In again, which is totally neat! And then we hung around for Fantasmic, which was incredible. It was a little more violent than I'd like to see at Disney, but the special effects were mind-blowing. Very good.
Tuesday was our down day, which we needed. We slept in, I did laundry, and my mom and Brooke got an afternoon nap. Tuesday night we went to Ft. Wilderness and saw the Hoop Dee Doo Revue. What a great family show! I highly recommend trying to get tickets for this show if you ever head to WDW. (And you're lucky if you can get tickets! It's sold out 90 days in advance and is the longest running show there.) After the show we took a private carriage ride that took us around the campground...over 500 acres of wilderness. Gorgeous! We saw 4 deer and got ate up by some huge Floridian mosquitoes. This park is easily accessible by boat from MK, which was a nice ride in itself. If you're the outdoorsey type and like cabin-life or camping...this is your place!
Wednesday was EPCOT, which Mike and I did without mom since she got sick during the night. I hated that she didn't get to see this park because she was really looking forward to riding Test Track. We rode it twice...love it! We also rode Soarin (our first time) and loved it. What an incredible ride! We saw Turtle Talk with Crush again, which is a cute show, and rode the Nemo ride. It's really neat...they put their cartoon fish in the aquarium with the real fish...not sure how they did that but it was a stunning effect! We rode Living with the Land for the first time and got to see different methods of irrigation...no soil techniques, etc. All of the things they grow in the greenhouses at EPCOT are used in the restuarants in the park. It was interesting. Wednesday night the three of us went to BOMA at Animal Kingdom lodge for supper. It was an African buffet. Very unusual. The desserts were to die for! And we walked around the grounds afterwards and got some great pictures of some of the animals there. How neat would it be to stay at a place like that and be able to go out on your balcony and see wild animals? Our motel was animal-like at times due to the large volumes of people staying there. Ha.
Thursday we had a character breakfast at Animal Kingdom with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Donald Duck. What fun! Brooke loved this. They gave the kids musical instruments and they danced around the restuarant with the characters. I got lots of great pictures!!! Afterwards, we went on the safari where LOTS of animals were out. We didn't see half the number of animals when we rode it 3 years ago. We had giraffe's standing beside our vehicle. It was incredible! And then my camera battery died which made me really mad! I think we had outlet issues at the motel because this happened to our phones as well. We thought things were being charged when in fact - they weren't. So we rode the train to another section of AK where I spent $25 on two disposable cameras. Mike's favorite character, which is RARELY SPOTTED ANYWHERE just happened to be here. So with lots of luck, my pictures of Jiminy Cricket and Mike will turn out! Thursday night we took Brooke to Give Kids the World to visit. This is where we stayed 3 years ago on our Wish trip. It's an incredible place ran by over 3,000 volunteers. In fact, Mike spent 3 mornings volunteering while mom and I hit the parks in the morning with Brooke. We ate supper there and Brooke got to celebrate Christmas, which we missed out on last trip since we flew home on Thursday. She had pictures with Santa Claus, got another potato head as her Christmas gift of choice (we knew she'd pick it), she decorated a sugar cookie, rode the train, we had ice cream and we left. It was a fun time. Visit www.gktw.org and check this place out. It's a great place to volunteer, donate to, or visit if ever in Kissimmee. The story behind the man who started it is an interesting one and you can buy the book on their website.
Friday was awesome. We drove to Boggey Creek airboats (about 30 miles from WDW) and took an airboat tour. WOW! We saw 1 baby alligator and a bald eagle. Brooke loved the boat ride. She laughed the entire time, which scared me because I was afraid one of the HUGE dragon flys would fly right in! We held an alligator after the ride and bought the $20 picture. It's great. I'll get it scanned and post it. After the airboat ride we went to Sea World. What a beautiful park and a LOT bigger than the one in San Diego. Brooke had never been, but since it was day 7 of the vacation...her attention span was not what it needed to be. She didn't care much for Clyde and Seamore but LOVED Shamu. She's still doing the Shamu cheer today. It was cute. Lesson learned...do Sea World earlier in the week next trip. And...consider making it 10 days instead of 8. Two go days, one down day, etc.
The trip was so much fun and we're so blessed Brooke's health allowed her to enjoy it. I cleaned her hands so many times it wasn't funny, but she got so used to it that it bacame second nature. We scrubbed the seats of the plane, the motel, all the luggage, etc. It was a lot of work, but SO WORTH IT. Please, please, please...enjoy the small things in life. Life is short and it's up to us to make it sweet. Memories are something no one can ever take away. God bless you all...keep the prayers coming our way...and I'll blog again soon.
We're home after 8 magical days in the heat and extreme humidity of Florida. We had a blast and Brooke tolerated the week very well. She got tired and we had to keep an eye on her temperature, but overall she was an excellent traveler. Disney is such an incredible place! The cast members are so kind! I love how they tell you to "have a magical day" or "dream magical dreams." And most of them went out of their way to help with Brooke in any way possible. They called her "princess" all the time, which I loved. I got a Guest Assistance card when we got there that allowed us (most of the time) to get in the fast pass line instead of having to wait in the regular line. This was a God send. Without this, we wouldn't have been able to accomplish half of what we did. Thank you WDW for treating the disabled the way they deserve to be treated!
When we got there Saturday, mom, Brooke and I took the Mgical Disney Express bus from the airport to our resort. What fun! Mike drove the rental car. I have zero complaints about our resort. The POP CENTURY is great! Yes, the rooms are small, but we were rarely in them. The food court had good food, the store was great, and the mousekeepers were super efficient. They even left a couple of towel animals for us during our stay. And the icons there ---- so neat! I have so many good pictures. After we got settled in, we went to Downtown Disney so Brooke could spend $250 of her $300 spending money on toys. Ha. You can't imagine how much she loves the Mr. Potato head bar. We now have another potato head and two more boxes of Disney accessories. She looks forward to the toys each trip. (And yes, it was a challenge figuring out how to get everything back home. 4 people, 8 checked suitcases, and 4 carry ons. Mike was thrilled at the amount of our luggage - NOT.)
Sunday it was Magic Kingdom which is always fun. It was crowded but nothing too horrible. Remarkably we got a lot on our "to-do list" accomplished. We saw the shows, rode the rides and of course - had pictures taken with Mickey and Minnie. We figured out on this trip that while Brooke does like Goofy, Max and Donald...she is definitly a MICKEY MOUSE LOVER! Brooke loves MK! It rained for a bit but we just happened to be on the steam boat, so we had cover. That was a nice 20 minute ride.
Monday we were at Hollywood Studios where I finally got to ride the Rockin Roller Coaster. (I love Aerosmith!) Our friend Irshaun, who works for Disney met us there and talked Mike into riding the coaster with us. I never thought I'd get him on another one and I probably never will again. It was INTENSE! WOW! We loved the new Toy Story ride and we got to see Beauty and the Beast, which Brooke loved. We had lunch at the Sci-Fi Drive In again, which is totally neat! And then we hung around for Fantasmic, which was incredible. It was a little more violent than I'd like to see at Disney, but the special effects were mind-blowing. Very good.
Tuesday was our down day, which we needed. We slept in, I did laundry, and my mom and Brooke got an afternoon nap. Tuesday night we went to Ft. Wilderness and saw the Hoop Dee Doo Revue. What a great family show! I highly recommend trying to get tickets for this show if you ever head to WDW. (And you're lucky if you can get tickets! It's sold out 90 days in advance and is the longest running show there.) After the show we took a private carriage ride that took us around the campground...over 500 acres of wilderness. Gorgeous! We saw 4 deer and got ate up by some huge Floridian mosquitoes. This park is easily accessible by boat from MK, which was a nice ride in itself. If you're the outdoorsey type and like cabin-life or camping...this is your place!
Wednesday was EPCOT, which Mike and I did without mom since she got sick during the night. I hated that she didn't get to see this park because she was really looking forward to riding Test Track. We rode it twice...love it! We also rode Soarin (our first time) and loved it. What an incredible ride! We saw Turtle Talk with Crush again, which is a cute show, and rode the Nemo ride. It's really neat...they put their cartoon fish in the aquarium with the real fish...not sure how they did that but it was a stunning effect! We rode Living with the Land for the first time and got to see different methods of irrigation...no soil techniques, etc. All of the things they grow in the greenhouses at EPCOT are used in the restuarants in the park. It was interesting. Wednesday night the three of us went to BOMA at Animal Kingdom lodge for supper. It was an African buffet. Very unusual. The desserts were to die for! And we walked around the grounds afterwards and got some great pictures of some of the animals there. How neat would it be to stay at a place like that and be able to go out on your balcony and see wild animals? Our motel was animal-like at times due to the large volumes of people staying there. Ha.
Thursday we had a character breakfast at Animal Kingdom with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Donald Duck. What fun! Brooke loved this. They gave the kids musical instruments and they danced around the restuarant with the characters. I got lots of great pictures!!! Afterwards, we went on the safari where LOTS of animals were out. We didn't see half the number of animals when we rode it 3 years ago. We had giraffe's standing beside our vehicle. It was incredible! And then my camera battery died which made me really mad! I think we had outlet issues at the motel because this happened to our phones as well. We thought things were being charged when in fact - they weren't. So we rode the train to another section of AK where I spent $25 on two disposable cameras. Mike's favorite character, which is RARELY SPOTTED ANYWHERE just happened to be here. So with lots of luck, my pictures of Jiminy Cricket and Mike will turn out! Thursday night we took Brooke to Give Kids the World to visit. This is where we stayed 3 years ago on our Wish trip. It's an incredible place ran by over 3,000 volunteers. In fact, Mike spent 3 mornings volunteering while mom and I hit the parks in the morning with Brooke. We ate supper there and Brooke got to celebrate Christmas, which we missed out on last trip since we flew home on Thursday. She had pictures with Santa Claus, got another potato head as her Christmas gift of choice (we knew she'd pick it), she decorated a sugar cookie, rode the train, we had ice cream and we left. It was a fun time. Visit www.gktw.org and check this place out. It's a great place to volunteer, donate to, or visit if ever in Kissimmee. The story behind the man who started it is an interesting one and you can buy the book on their website.
Friday was awesome. We drove to Boggey Creek airboats (about 30 miles from WDW) and took an airboat tour. WOW! We saw 1 baby alligator and a bald eagle. Brooke loved the boat ride. She laughed the entire time, which scared me because I was afraid one of the HUGE dragon flys would fly right in! We held an alligator after the ride and bought the $20 picture. It's great. I'll get it scanned and post it. After the airboat ride we went to Sea World. What a beautiful park and a LOT bigger than the one in San Diego. Brooke had never been, but since it was day 7 of the vacation...her attention span was not what it needed to be. She didn't care much for Clyde and Seamore but LOVED Shamu. She's still doing the Shamu cheer today. It was cute. Lesson learned...do Sea World earlier in the week next trip. And...consider making it 10 days instead of 8. Two go days, one down day, etc.
The trip was so much fun and we're so blessed Brooke's health allowed her to enjoy it. I cleaned her hands so many times it wasn't funny, but she got so used to it that it bacame second nature. We scrubbed the seats of the plane, the motel, all the luggage, etc. It was a lot of work, but SO WORTH IT. Please, please, please...enjoy the small things in life. Life is short and it's up to us to make it sweet. Memories are something no one can ever take away. God bless you all...keep the prayers coming our way...and I'll blog again soon.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
A gold and silver medal
Brooke did awesome this past weekend at the SONM state games in Albuquerque. She took the silver in her 25 meter walk (she almost stopped to waive to Ma and Papa but she figured out she could slow down to a negative 1 mph and still get the job done). Ha! She took gold in the tennis ball throw. We are so proud of our special athlete! We took things slow and made sure she rested more than usual and she did well. We just have to take things slower than usual from now on and keep cleaning her hands. I know she got tired of me doing that and she doesn't understand why I'm doing it, but it's a necessary evil none-the-less.
We're gearing up for our trip to WDW Saturday. We leave Friday when I get off work and will drive to Albuquerque. We fly out early Saturday morning. Please pray for our safety there and back and for Brooke's tolerance to everything. Germs, the heat, the waiting in line, etc. Continue to ask God to watch over her and to continue to protect her. Ask for help for me to remember to turn things over to him and stop trying to carry it. I forget this from time to time and the knot in my stomach is a reminder that I'm not doing what I need to be doing. It's so easy to get wrapped up in the worry and the uncertainties. I ask God to help me relax and enjoy this magical time with Mike, Brooke and my mom. We are blessed. Thank you Lord for everything you do for us and for all that we have. Please continue to guide us through our journeys.
Good news! I just learned today that I'm going to be a great-aunt again. YEA SARAH AND JASON!!! Is it wrong to pray for a girl? I'd be happy with another boy, but sure would like to see a great-niece!!!
Take care everyone and it may be after our trip before you hear from me again.
VIVA MICKEY MOUSE!!!!!!
We're gearing up for our trip to WDW Saturday. We leave Friday when I get off work and will drive to Albuquerque. We fly out early Saturday morning. Please pray for our safety there and back and for Brooke's tolerance to everything. Germs, the heat, the waiting in line, etc. Continue to ask God to watch over her and to continue to protect her. Ask for help for me to remember to turn things over to him and stop trying to carry it. I forget this from time to time and the knot in my stomach is a reminder that I'm not doing what I need to be doing. It's so easy to get wrapped up in the worry and the uncertainties. I ask God to help me relax and enjoy this magical time with Mike, Brooke and my mom. We are blessed. Thank you Lord for everything you do for us and for all that we have. Please continue to guide us through our journeys.
Good news! I just learned today that I'm going to be a great-aunt again. YEA SARAH AND JASON!!! Is it wrong to pray for a girl? I'd be happy with another boy, but sure would like to see a great-niece!!!
Take care everyone and it may be after our trip before you hear from me again.
VIVA MICKEY MOUSE!!!!!!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Camping, Special Olympics and Mickey Mouse
Here I go again...having to apologize for not posting. I wish I had some eloquent excuse, but I don't. Just summer-time blues. We've been busy riding bikes, going for nightly strolls, planting flowers and just enjoying the wonderful Eastern NM nights.
Brooke is doing good. We leave tomorrow for the Special Olympic state track meet in Albq. This is always fun. We're taking it a little slower this year and with more precautions. I am worried about all of the touching and hugging that special people do! I may have to hand gel Brooke every 2 minutes! But she misses her teammates and is looking forward to doing the "special O." (For those of you who don't know what that is...the athletes always stand up and put their arms in a big O over their heads and yell OOOOOOOOOOO...it's a standing O for ovation.) They get a kick out of it and it's become one of Brooke's trademarks. So much so that I have to email the head of SONM each year to remind her to be sure to do it. When she forgets...it crushes Brooke. It's cute. Opening ceremonies are tomorrow night at 7:00 and she competes at 8:00 Saturday morning. We go to Olympic Village at 10:00 where she plays with the Special Orchestra for as long as we let her. It's another favorite of hers. Then it's off to the SO gift tent to see what all we can buy this year. Last year it was a chair and a yellow stocking cap. You never know. It's a lot of fun overall!!!!
We went camping last weekend...Brooke's first time camping and her first time at Angel Fire. What a gorgeous place! How can anyone not believe in the wonders of God when seeing sights as pretty as that? WOW! If I ever find a spare million laying around the house - it will go to a second home there. It's my favorite spot in NM. Right outside of Angel Fire between Black Lake and the Moreno Valley. Brooke did well other than constantly worrying about the other 8 family members when they weren't in her immediate site. She worries. We slept in the trailor, which is as nice as any motel. Thank goodness for in-laws with nice toys!!!
10 days to Mickey Mouse...and yes, I'm very excited! And you know Brooke is!!! I have everything ready to go except for the packing list. I am really looking forward to my mom going...what a treat for her. After being a care-giver for my dad for so many years - she really deserves the magic that only Disney can offer. I am glad she is going with us.
Please pray for continued health for Brooke and for safe journies for us in our upcoming travels.
Brooke is doing good. We leave tomorrow for the Special Olympic state track meet in Albq. This is always fun. We're taking it a little slower this year and with more precautions. I am worried about all of the touching and hugging that special people do! I may have to hand gel Brooke every 2 minutes! But she misses her teammates and is looking forward to doing the "special O." (For those of you who don't know what that is...the athletes always stand up and put their arms in a big O over their heads and yell OOOOOOOOOOO...it's a standing O for ovation.) They get a kick out of it and it's become one of Brooke's trademarks. So much so that I have to email the head of SONM each year to remind her to be sure to do it. When she forgets...it crushes Brooke. It's cute. Opening ceremonies are tomorrow night at 7:00 and she competes at 8:00 Saturday morning. We go to Olympic Village at 10:00 where she plays with the Special Orchestra for as long as we let her. It's another favorite of hers. Then it's off to the SO gift tent to see what all we can buy this year. Last year it was a chair and a yellow stocking cap. You never know. It's a lot of fun overall!!!!
We went camping last weekend...Brooke's first time camping and her first time at Angel Fire. What a gorgeous place! How can anyone not believe in the wonders of God when seeing sights as pretty as that? WOW! If I ever find a spare million laying around the house - it will go to a second home there. It's my favorite spot in NM. Right outside of Angel Fire between Black Lake and the Moreno Valley. Brooke did well other than constantly worrying about the other 8 family members when they weren't in her immediate site. She worries. We slept in the trailor, which is as nice as any motel. Thank goodness for in-laws with nice toys!!!
10 days to Mickey Mouse...and yes, I'm very excited! And you know Brooke is!!! I have everything ready to go except for the packing list. I am really looking forward to my mom going...what a treat for her. After being a care-giver for my dad for so many years - she really deserves the magic that only Disney can offer. I am glad she is going with us.
Please pray for continued health for Brooke and for safe journies for us in our upcoming travels.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
No one is immune
Did anyone see the Farrah Fawcett story on TV last night? WOW. It was incredible! I noticed that it's on again right now and will be on again tomorrow. You've got to see it! She did a video journal of her experiences over the past several years with her rare type of cancer, the treatments she has endured in LA as well as in Germany, and most importantly - her feelings and how it has changed her life. It was very touching and extremely emotional. I wonder if famous people realize how much they help the cause by making their experiences public? A star can do so much just by speaking out. While none of us would wish any hurt or pain on another human, we should all be thankful to those who try to help the cause by making their personal struggles known to all. It's not easy putting yourself out there like an open book for all to read. But regardless, none of us are immune to the debilitating, horric effects of cancer. Pray for all who have to endure this awful disease. I will add Farrah to my daily prayers.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
PET Scan scheduled
I apologize that it's taken me so long to update this blog. No excuses. I mean, I have plenty I could throw out there, but none that really matter. The good news is that I finished my class last week and am not going to take anything this summer. I have enough on my plate right now without having to worry about homework! 9 more classes folks!!! This senior can finally begin to see the light at the end of the VERY long tunnel. This has been a 6-year process to date. Time is precious. No hurry.
Brooke is doing well. She's always waiting for us at the door in her hat and sunglasses when we get off work every day ready to go somewhere and do something. We usually wait until it cools off and then go on ride bikes. She loves riding her bicycle (and it's an incredible workout for me). She got to go to our church's annual fireperson appreciation dinner a few weeks ago, which she loves. She loves being around the fire station, the trucks, the people, etc. She did great. This was her first "big" crowd to be around and the second social event she's had in over 4 months. I took her to the high school to visit everyone several weeks ago but I made her wear a mask. The swine flu is very scary! She was excited to see her friends! Mike brought her annual home a few days ago and she's had so much fun looking at people and telling them to "come over." She loves people!
We have our summer doctor's appointments and test dates already scheduled. July 1 and 2 at UNM. We'll see the Immunologist on the 1st and do blood work and then see Dr. Libby on the 2nd. Brooke will also have a PET scan done on the 1st. When the CT scan was done in March, there was one lymph node that was a little concerning to the doctor. He said we would watch it and see what happens. The PET scan is used (in most instances - like ours) to detect cancer. I believe in being honest with you; we're not out of the woods. It doesn't seem that Dr. Libby has a warm fuzzy about all of the negative cancer results. I'm by no means a mind reader, but he's made enough comments for me to say that I believe he thinks there is still a good chance she has Lymphoma. This is primarily why he isn't treating the neutropenia right now. He doesn't want to treat the unknown and potentially run the risk of masking another problem. That's understandable. I pray this isn't the case. I pray it's still side effects of the salmonella and that time will rid her of it and all of the problems that have been associated with it.
I'd be lying if I said we were ok. How could we be? This is hard. It's been the longest, toughest 4 months of our lives! And I feel guilty telling about how we feel when it's sweet little Brookie that has to endure everything. The hardest part is that she doesn't look sick or act sick. Not that I want her to..don't get me wrong, it's just so deceiving. And it's especially difficult to try to explain to her. She doesn't understand why she can't go to school, or to the mall, or to Wal-Mart. She's the innocent and unknowing victim of a invisible illness. That's hard for everyone to comprehend. I get asked all the time if she feels better. She never really felt bad. She's tired a lot, and she fights with her allergies like she always has, but she's happy most of the time, loving all of the time, and super excited about seeing Mickey Mouse.
Speaking of Mickey Mouse...24 more days! I've already warned Mike that super-germ-o-phobe mom will be disinfecting the airplane, the hotel, and all 5 of the parks we'll be visiting so if he's easily ashamed...he better pretend not to know me. Ha. I've got my "bag of germ-fighters" already packed and ready to go. Yes, I've even emailed SWA asking if I can bring a "baby can" of Lysol on the plane. The plane scares me. Disney not so much so. I can clean...that's all any of us can do right now. Keep Brooke's hands and face and mouth clean, and pray.
Well...I better get. We're taking Brooke out to eat tonight because Mike leaves tomorrow for the state track meet in Albuquerque. He'll be gone through Saturday. Please continue to pray for all of us. Ask God to continue to watch over Brooke and to make her feel safe at all times. Ask Him to help Mike and I deal with the stress associated with the unknown. And ask Him to guide us to provide the care Brooke needs. I pray every day for wisdom on my mothering and as a wife. My professor said something in class last week that really has stayed with me. She said, "What do you want your headstone to say?" That says a lot. How we choose to live our lives now indicates how people will remember us forever more. I want my legacy to be one of a Christian woman who was a good mother to a special little girl and a kind and loving wife to her husband.
Thank you God for Brooke and Mike...they complete me!
Brooke is doing well. She's always waiting for us at the door in her hat and sunglasses when we get off work every day ready to go somewhere and do something. We usually wait until it cools off and then go on ride bikes. She loves riding her bicycle (and it's an incredible workout for me). She got to go to our church's annual fireperson appreciation dinner a few weeks ago, which she loves. She loves being around the fire station, the trucks, the people, etc. She did great. This was her first "big" crowd to be around and the second social event she's had in over 4 months. I took her to the high school to visit everyone several weeks ago but I made her wear a mask. The swine flu is very scary! She was excited to see her friends! Mike brought her annual home a few days ago and she's had so much fun looking at people and telling them to "come over." She loves people!
We have our summer doctor's appointments and test dates already scheduled. July 1 and 2 at UNM. We'll see the Immunologist on the 1st and do blood work and then see Dr. Libby on the 2nd. Brooke will also have a PET scan done on the 1st. When the CT scan was done in March, there was one lymph node that was a little concerning to the doctor. He said we would watch it and see what happens. The PET scan is used (in most instances - like ours) to detect cancer. I believe in being honest with you; we're not out of the woods. It doesn't seem that Dr. Libby has a warm fuzzy about all of the negative cancer results. I'm by no means a mind reader, but he's made enough comments for me to say that I believe he thinks there is still a good chance she has Lymphoma. This is primarily why he isn't treating the neutropenia right now. He doesn't want to treat the unknown and potentially run the risk of masking another problem. That's understandable. I pray this isn't the case. I pray it's still side effects of the salmonella and that time will rid her of it and all of the problems that have been associated with it.
I'd be lying if I said we were ok. How could we be? This is hard. It's been the longest, toughest 4 months of our lives! And I feel guilty telling about how we feel when it's sweet little Brookie that has to endure everything. The hardest part is that she doesn't look sick or act sick. Not that I want her to..don't get me wrong, it's just so deceiving. And it's especially difficult to try to explain to her. She doesn't understand why she can't go to school, or to the mall, or to Wal-Mart. She's the innocent and unknowing victim of a invisible illness. That's hard for everyone to comprehend. I get asked all the time if she feels better. She never really felt bad. She's tired a lot, and she fights with her allergies like she always has, but she's happy most of the time, loving all of the time, and super excited about seeing Mickey Mouse.
Speaking of Mickey Mouse...24 more days! I've already warned Mike that super-germ-o-phobe mom will be disinfecting the airplane, the hotel, and all 5 of the parks we'll be visiting so if he's easily ashamed...he better pretend not to know me. Ha. I've got my "bag of germ-fighters" already packed and ready to go. Yes, I've even emailed SWA asking if I can bring a "baby can" of Lysol on the plane. The plane scares me. Disney not so much so. I can clean...that's all any of us can do right now. Keep Brooke's hands and face and mouth clean, and pray.
Well...I better get. We're taking Brooke out to eat tonight because Mike leaves tomorrow for the state track meet in Albuquerque. He'll be gone through Saturday. Please continue to pray for all of us. Ask God to continue to watch over Brooke and to make her feel safe at all times. Ask Him to help Mike and I deal with the stress associated with the unknown. And ask Him to guide us to provide the care Brooke needs. I pray every day for wisdom on my mothering and as a wife. My professor said something in class last week that really has stayed with me. She said, "What do you want your headstone to say?" That says a lot. How we choose to live our lives now indicates how people will remember us forever more. I want my legacy to be one of a Christian woman who was a good mother to a special little girl and a kind and loving wife to her husband.
Thank you God for Brooke and Mike...they complete me!
Saturday, April 25, 2009
No Track Meet
Today, my heart aches. We didn't take Brooke to her Special Olympic track meet in Carlsbad as planned. That nagging mother's intuition told me not to do it. She didn't look like she felt well yesterday and she had a really sleepless night last night. Something just isn't right and I didn't want to tire her out with 6 hours of driving. And while I know I made the right decision, it hurts me and confuses her. She was so excited about going and seeing her friends. I wish someone would tell me how to explain all of this to my daughter! She doesn't feel sick, nor does she look sick, and we haven't told her she is - so how do we justify all of this to her? She misses her friends, and Special Olympics, going to church, etc. I pray that God help us with this. It's so hard!
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