Tuesday, September 13th

School and its associated studying has settled into our schedule.  Mornings are quick with a smoothie and a little lunch packed.  Michellie is best with a little something to go, some snacks for throughout the day, and a ham and cheese wrap for whenever she decides to eat lunch.  So far she has made the bus every morning and with a smile on her face. We are embracing this wonderful time and the energy she exudes as she goes down the driveway.  This Friday was the first day Missy followed her to the bus stop, so Dad had to get out of bed and go out in the rain to catch her so she wouldn't follow the bus.

Michellie is enjoying her classes and settling in with a group of friends.  She is challenged by the review of her math material from last semester, and looks forward to when they get out of review mode and get to trig.  We hope that math is easier for her as the semester progresses.

Saturday night last we attended Madison Violet and volunteered.  Michellie was a ticket taker and was so great with getting everyone towards their seats.  Afterwards we had our pictures taken with both entertainers. 


Madison Violet




Michellie and Francesca


Sunday we headed to Halifax for an overnight.  We spent the afternoon with Francesca's family near the hostpital.  The girls went shopping while the parents enjoyed sharing a lot of things in common.  It was really wonderful to share our stories about treatment and recovery, and about our own energy and our own recovery.  There is so much more that happens after the treatment finishes.  We all felt our reserves were definitely drained and that the slightest bit of stress could completely deplete the storage of energy.  Each trip for another test was stressful, and the side effects of the drugs show up at different times and at different stages.  So, there is an ongoing adjustment to these changes.  Francesca has a bit more of this to deal with than Michellie, but both girls definitely have lost their sense of innocense and trust that a child holds on to.  Being at school is almost surreal as they deal with their recovery and their desire to fit in.  We had a lovely visit and we look forward to many more times to share in the coming trips to Halifax.

Our visit with the Krochko's was wonderful as always.  It was really hard to fathom that we were going for our 6 month post treatment check up.  Sitting with them at the dinner table seemed like nothing had ever happened, and like everything had and they were such a part of our process.  Michellie was relaxed until later into the evening and then she couldn't sleep most of the night.

This post treatment visit had us to the gynechologist, the gastrointestinal specialist, for a CAT scan, a nurses assessment and an oncologists checkup as well as blood tests, weight and measurement.  Michellie was the same weight as the beginning of the summer at 120 lbs., but she had grown a whole inch through the summer.  She is now 5 foot 7 inches.  She was lamenting the fact that she was the tallest girl in her grade as everyone in Cape Breton averages 5 foot 2 or 4.  We did not have the test back from the CAT scan during the oncology review, but everything was looking good.  Aside from low energy and muscle weakness, the eating issues and stomach issues seemd to be sorting themselves out.  Michellie avoids mozarella and limits her wheat intake and this seems to help.  She is very aware of how her stomach indicates her stress level, and she tries to calm herself through those situations.  We will continue to work on this.

So, now we prepare for the arrival of Michellie's Grandparents and some fun with birthdays and such.