Monday, December 21, 2009

We are heading home for Christmas!

On Friday, Karly had to receive platelets after Thursday's lab results showed hers to be low. Today she went in for labs again and her counts are better. Her platelets had gone up but were still a little low so she will have lab work done at home on Wednesday.

Karly is schedule to come back to Houston on January 11 to have her port removed. She wanted it removed before we left here but her platelets did not allow that.

We said our goodbyes today and it was kind of bitter sweet. We are both so EXCITED about going home but we have also created such wonderful bonds with some of the people here it is hard to leave with out shedding some tears.

We have accumulated so much stuff here that I took a HUGE load to the Goodwill today, we took tons of stuff to the hospital and still had to rent a mini storage. We will pick up the rest of our things from the mini storage when we come back in January.

Karly will continue to have lab work done on a regular basis, she is on antibiotics to help keep her from getting an infection of any kind and she will return to Houston every 3 months for scans and check ups.

Thank you for all the love, prayers and support. Please continue to keep Karly in your prayers.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

The news is good....

After 2 full days of scans, Karly's results are back and they are good! There is no longer any activity in the mass and the mass has shrunk to half its previous size. The goal is for her body to someday absorb the mass.

Karly's count are low so she will not being having her port removed until January. Tomorrow she will receive platelets and on Monday she will have repeat labs. It looks like we will be HOME for Christmas.

Karly is scheduled to be back January 11 for the removal of her port and then in March for a check up.

Today 2 members of the Houston Astros came to the clinic and handed out bears to the kids. Check out this link to see a GREAT picture of Karly.

www.khou.com/news/slideshows/Houston-Astros-bring-teddy-bears-to-sick-kids--79577332.html

Monday, December 14, 2009

Happy Day....


Today was a happy day here in Houston.

Karly had to go to the clinic this afternoon to receive a shot. While there she rang the bell to celebrate the completion of her treatments.

John and Victoria were there today for Victoria's chemo treatment. John was able to witness Karly ringing the bell, Victoria did not feel up to coming out. Please keep her in your prayers, this is #9 of 12 for her.
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/victoria09

We are so glad to report that our neighbor little Sara is in remission! Praise God! Sara HAD Leukemia(ALL) but she is doing great. Sara and her dad, Rick were packing up today and heading back to Oklahoma. PLEASE check out her caringbridge site. She is such a ray of sunshine. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/sararobinson

Tomorrow, Karly has lab work and we will see the radiation doctor for a follow up visit. Wednesday and Thursday are packed full of scans and doctor appointments.

Thank you all so much for all the prayers and support.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Chemo is Over!

Karly is finished with chemo!! We have been in Houston for 242 days. Karly has completed 31 radiation treatments and 14 cycles of chemotherapy. I have given her somewhere between 90-100 injections, and she has received blood products at least 14 times.

On Monday, Karly saw Dr. Herzog and she discussed the plans for scans next week. I can’t even begin to tell you how much we miss Heather! Having a different nurse the past couple times has been so frustrating, there is a sense of security when YOUR nurse is the one taking care of you. Karly began chemo Monday morning and she came home last night with her last dose of chemo in her backpack.

Karly woke up today feeling “ick”. When we got to the clinic Sherri at the front desk immediately noticed something was wrong and called in the troops. Karly was taken back to the PACT rather quickly so she could lie day. After a CBC and some other lab work Dr. Wolf decided she needed 2 units of blood. Not long after the blood started going in Karly started feeling much better.

Victoria and her mom, Tammy were in town for Victoria’s scans and they stopped by for a visit while Karly was receiving her blood. It was great to spend time visiting and comparing “war” stories with them.

Karly decided not to ring the bell today. It was 6 pm before we left the clinic, so almost everyone was gone and there are several nurses and child life specialists that she would like to be present when she rings the bells. She also came home with a backpack of fluids and she said she wants to be completely unhooked before she rings the bell.

We have been blessed to have wonderful nurses taking care of Karly in the PATC. Lacy, Sandy, Anna and Kelly have been such a blessing. They KNOW just by looking at Karly how she feels and if something isn’t right. They love what they do and it shows.

This has been a long a difficult journey but we have met so many wonderful people and have created lifelong bonds with many of them. I am so grateful for all the prayers that have been said and continue to be said for Karly.

Karly will have all her scans repeated next week. Scan time is a difficult time, known around here as scanxiety. Please pray that all the treatments have done their job and Karly is cancer free.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Last Round

We got back to soggy Houston last night. We enjoyed our much needed time at home.

Karly started her last round of chemo this morning. This will be a 4 day cycle; she will do chemo for 4 days and the 24 hours of fluids. All of her scans are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday of next week.

I will update more at the end of the week.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

WHOA....Our bodies are in shock! When we left Houston the low had been 58 and when we arrived in Seminole it was 28 degrees and it has snowed here the passed 2 days. We love being home no matter what the temperature is!

Karly has got to have her favorite foods: chocolate donuts from the bakery, corn nuggets from Thelma's, lunch from K&S Steak Place, cheddar bites from Sonic and stuffed jalapenos from Bub & Nona's. She has also been able to visit with a few friends. But, more than anything sleeping in our own beds has been wonderful!

Karly had lab work done Friday and yesterday and both days her results came back good. She will have blood drawn again tomorrow just to make sure everything is still at good levels. We will head back to Houston on Sunday and hope to begin her last round of chemo Monday morning.

Thank you again for all the prayers, we KNOW that without them we would not be where we are today.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone!

We definitely have a lot to be thankful for this year. We are very thankful that we are able to spend some time back at home for the first time in 8 months.

Karly went in Tuesday morning and had lab work done. All of her counts were at good levels so we were able to leave Houston about noon to head home. Dr. Herzog only allowed us to leave if we had a doctor here that would agree to check Karly's blood counts and take care of her in case of an emergency. Dr. Parkey and Jessica agreed without any hesitation and Jessica has already gone out of her way to help us out.

We enjoyed an amazing Welcome Home dinner Wednesday night at Bub & Nona's. Everyone at that house can cook! Yum! We loved getting to spend time with our close family and friends.

Today we had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner at Mom and Dad's. Kary was exhausted after all the festivities this afternoon. She was happy about the Cowboys and the Longhorns winning! :)

Karly will be staying in and away from people. She would love to make the rounds and see everyone that she has missed so much, but we cannot take any chances on her getting sick. I do hope everyone understands that we are in no way trying to be rude, but a runny nose is no big deal to most people but it can lead to a life threatening situation with Karly.

Thank you so much for all the prayers. Please continue to pray for Karly, Keaton Lee and Daniel Porras.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

FINALLY!!! Chemo cycle #13 is done.

On Friday Karly was finally able to get one more cycle of chemo behind her. Her platelets had gone up, but her white blood count had dropped. Her ANC level(which is a combination of the blood counts) was NOT where it normally should be for chemo therapy, but the doctor did not want to delay chemo any longer. Karly goes back in to the clinic on Tuesday for lab work.

The BEST nurse in the clinic moved to another position in the hospital. Heather, Dr. Herzog's nurse, is awesome! Karly basically refused to let anyone but Heather access her port. We went and tracked Heather down Wednesday, we were already missing her and it had only been 3 days since she left the clinic! :) I guess we understand that better hours and better money are hard to pass up. We sure would like to be selfish and keep her at the clinic for US!

Karly and I have already watched the new Twilight movie, New Moon, twice and it just came out on Friday. We went to the midnight showing on Thursday night and then went again on Friday with Carmen from the clinic. I think we may be a little cazy!

Monday, November 16, 2009

OK, Karly's platelets are being VERY stubborn this time around. They did go up some more, but still not where they need to be. We will try for chemo on Wednesday.

The school issue is worked out for the moment. Not because the school has seen the error of their ways, but because Aunt LaLa contacted the District Attorney. The DA basically said it was all a bunch of bull and Karly and I had more important things to worry about.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Just as we thought...no chemo today! Karly's hemoglobin and white blood cells are now at good levels, but her platelets are still not where they need to be. Her platelets did increase which is great, just not enough. The doctor is not sure that she will even be ready on Thursday, if not we will try for Monday, Nov. 16.

We are still trying to work out the issue with the school! I plan on making the homebound teacher tomorrow leave me a copy of the paper I sign every time he comes.

Thank you so much for the prayers for our friend Daniel Porras. When they met with the doctor yesterday the news from last week had been replaced with much better news.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

I just wanted to updated even though there really is not much to update. Karly is feeling fine and she does not go back to the clinic until Tuesday. IF her blood results come back good she will start chemo on Tuesday but if not we will try for Thursday.

For those of you that did not get to see the Seminole Sentinel, Karly was on the front page. The SHS chapter of the National Honor Society, conducted a "servant auction" as a fundraiser for Karly. Twenty-six SHS students and 6 faculty members participated in the auction. We are so blessed to be a part of such a great community! Thank you to all of you who participated in some way, whether it was putting it together, working, buying or being auctioned.

Now....I have to rant a little bit!
After 2 weeks of fighting with Bellaire High School I finally had all the correct papers and was able to enroll Karly in school(at the beginning of the school yr). I was told then that it would probably take 6-8 weeks for them to get the home bound assignment set up, and get a teacher out to Karly. I talked to the school liaison at MDACC about this time period and she said that was normal. She also told me they are trying to get HISD to speed this process up because 6-8 weeks is too long before a child is provided services. I gave the school 4 weeks and then I started calling and emailing them. They finally sent a teacher out 8 weeks after school had started. Needless to say he brought TONS of work. Karly has been working her tail off trying to get it all done. I am talking about work from August until now! Then on Friday, I go to the mailbox and there was a letter from one of the Harris County Justice of the Peace requiring Karly and I to appear before him because Karly has been truant from school! I am so ANGRY! The school makes me jump through hoops, questions her doctors 2 times to make sure she is really sick and then takes 8 weeks to send a teacher out and then they report her TRUANT! Are they kidding me?!?
If they are sending a home bound teacher out don't they know she is not going to be present at the school campus?

Thursday, November 5, 2009

What a day...I have been meaning to update all evening but the shooting at Fort Hood was so heartbreaking and shocking I couldn't focus my mind on typing until now. Pray for all of the families involved. God bless our troops!

Karly's blood counts are very S-L-O-W-L-Y starting to go up. They are still low but she is out of the danger zone with her white blood count and her platelets are also increasing. Dr. Herzog did put her on a prescription to prevent infection just to be on the safe side. It is possible that she could do chemo on Tuesday, November 10 but it will probably be Thursday, November 12. Karly's poor veins need a rest from all the blood draws. She will have 4 full days off because we don't go back until Tuesday.

I know some of you read the story about Daniel Porras from Sudan, Tx that I posted the link to on my previous post. I am asking you to please pray for him and his family. Daniel received some devastating news today and needs prayers. I know we have the most amazing prayer warriors reading this and I ask you to lift him and his family up in prayer. We had an instant connection with Daniel and his family since we are all West Texans.

Please take the time to go donate blood. Not only will it help all these sick kids here but also all the injured at Fort Hood.

Monday, November 2, 2009

KARLY RANG THE BELL TODAY!

I am so excited to report that Karly rang the bell in radiation today to signify that she had completed all 31 treatment. I will post some pictures on her Caringbridge site.

Karly's lab work this morning show her counts were slowly going up, but it does not look like they will be good enough for her to do chemo tomorrow. Her platelet level would have to more than triple over night, I don't see that happening. Hopefully, she will be good to go on Thursday.

Our friends from Sudan were back today. Daniel Porras is the funniest kid! We sat and visited with him and his parents for 2 hours. He is good for the soul. An article about Daniel was published in one of MD Anderson's Publications. I will put the link at the bottom of this and I hope it works so you can go read his story. While we were all visiting the 5 of us were video for a fundraising video that will be used for MD Anderson. West Texas folks are the best, so of course they wanted to video us. :)

http://www.mdanderson.org/publications/conquest/issues/2009-fall/back-to-hamburgers-and-roping-steers-new-treatment-gives-teenager-hope.html

Sunday, November 1, 2009

I hope everyone had a great Halloween. Karly and I stayed at the apartment since her blood counts have been at dangerous levels. We did go treat little Sarah across the hall. Sarah was so excited to get a big bag of treats. Sarah is a sweet little 6 year old from Oklahoma who had a bone marrow transplant in May to fight off Leukemia. Her mom is back home with her 2 sisters and her dad is here with her. She is a doll!

Friday morning's lab results showed that all of Karly's blood counts had continued to drop even after receiving blood on Thursday. So, she received platelets Friday morning and I have to continue her shots through today. Her poor arms are solid bruises because of her low counts; she has bruises from blood draws, from shots and even from the dang band aids. It is very hard for me to keep giving her shot when her arms are so bruised.

Karly will have repeat lab work done in the morning before her LAST radiation treatment. Her 13th chemo cycle is schedule for Tuesday. Of course, this will all depend on what her blood counts do. This has been a worrisome few days since this is the lowest her levels have ever been.

Some of you have asked how you could donate blood and Karly receive credit for it. Her Aunt Terri donated on Friday and got some information for us for the United Blood Services in Lubbock. You can donate in Karly's name, it's called Credit To Patients. That way Karly gets the credits even though your blood types don't match hers. When you fill out the form check the box CTP and put Karly's name. A weekly report is sent out to all the hospitals, so every hospital knows which patient has credit.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Early this morning Karly had lab work done and then we saw Dr. Herzog. Karly's counts, both platelets and white blood cells, had dropped drastically since Monday. Dr. Herzog told us she would receive blood and platelets tomorrow, Friday. We went on to radiation and Karly got one more treatment behind her, only 2 more to go. The technician, Kara, told us Karly's radiation appointment would be in the afternoon tomorrow instead of the morning. So, before we left the hospital I decided we better stop by the clinic and see if radiation was going to interfere with her blood transfusion. Good thing we stopped by because they had decided she was getting a blood transfusion today and then returning in the morning for more labs to determine whether or not she would need platelets.

Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.-Anonymous
I remind myself of this often.

Karly's 13th chemo cycle could possibly be delayed do to her low blood counts. Karly lost 3-4 pounds over the last week but is still eating really well. She has been blessed and has NEVER had any trouble with mouth sores. We owe Dana a big thank you for that. She insisted we never miss the mouth wash and gave us so many other great tips.

When we were leaving the radiation area of the hospital today, the fire alarm was going off. Karly and I looking at each other, looked back the elevator, at each other again and took the stairs! We said, "My Bubba says not to take the elevator when the fire alarm is going off."

Monday, October 26, 2009

12 cycles of chemo down and only 2 more to go!

Karly finished up chemo cycle #12 on Sunday. We went in to the hospital to have everything taken off and her port disconnected Sunday afternoon. I cannot understand why the people in the other parts of the hospital freak out over pediatric patients. Karly is the same size as alot of adult patients but they still act so silly. What usually takes the nurses in the pedi clinic 2 minutes to do (seriously) took 2 nurses 15 minutes to do.

Karly had radiation treatment #26, she will be finished with radiation on Monday, November 2! She also had lab work done today. While we were in the clinic the nurse told me she was going to teach me to disconnect Karly's port this week. WHAT?!? Are they crazy? I have given her over 70 shots but I do not think that qualifies me for anything else.

Karen posted and said that her and Keaton made it to the Philippines. Please continue to pray for them as they are on a great adventure!

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Karly is almost finished with chemo cycle #12. She is actually finished with the chemo part of it but she still has her back pack of fluids and will have that through tomorrow. She has also completed 25 radiation treatments. Doing the chemo treatments in the outpatient unit of the pedi clinic is so much easier on Karly. The nurses are wonderful and if we need anything, Dr. Herzog and her staff are right there.

On Wednesday, Lexie and Nanny flew home. Lexie had the best time flying home and from what I hear she was very excited to see her Pa. Since Uncle Vaughn has a little pull at the airport, Pa was able to be at the gate when they came off the plane; Lexie ran to him and gave him the biggest hug. Nanny said she spent an hour that night playing with the dog Coco. The next morning Lexie was up at 6 and ready to go to LeaAnn's house. Thursday evening she got to go watch her buddy Aiden play football. Her social calendar is very full for the next few weeks and I want to thank everyone for that, it helps so much knowing that she is staying busy.

Our friends Keaton and Karen are heading back to the Philippines this afternoon. The treatment Keaton received in the Philippines appears to have been working and until it is available here he is going back there to receive more of the treatments.

We can never say thank you enough for all the kind things people continue to do for us. We have the most amazing friends and family! Karly's face lit up when I told her that the high school was doing a fundraiser for her, it really means so much to her for her peers to being showing her support.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

I am sorry for the delay in updating.

Thursday, Karly saw Dr. Herzog and everything looked good. Her counts were good enough that she was able to get her flu shot.

Nanny flew in Sunday and we spent the afternoon shopping at the Galleria. We have been staying at the hotel with Nanny, because their beds are really comfy! :)

Monday morning Karly headed back in for radiation treatment #21 and that afternoon started chemo cycle #12. Only 2 more cycles of chemo after this one!! We are so excited! This is a full week of chemo. Karly spends about 2 hours in the clinic every afternoon and then comes home with a backpack. She will have the backpack through Sunday.

Nanny and Lexie will be flying home tomorrow. Lexie was getting ready to go home which was a good thing because MDACC no longer allows children under 12 anywhere in the hospital because of H1N1 and the seasonal flu. We are going to miss Lexie so hopefully it won't be long before we are able to come home.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Karly's recent back pain appears to be related to rapid bone marrow production. She has experienced this before, but it was when her white blood cell count was ridiculously high. Karly received a unit of blood yesterday afternoon. As I said before, with her doing radiation her hemoglobin level has to stay higher than what it normally does so she needed some blood yesterday. We will see Dr. Herzog in the morning and make plans for chemo cycle #12 to start on Monday.

MDACC is implementing new restrictions on visitors under 12 years old starting Monday, Oct. 19. No child under 12 will be allowed in any area of the hospital because of the outbreak of the seasonal flu and H1N1. It is a good thing Lexie was already planning on going home to stay with Nanny and Pa. She is missing her friends at LeaAnn's and at church and is ready to go home and play. She can only do so many front rolls in this tiny apartment. :)

Yesterday, before the nurse de-accessed Karly's port after she received blood, Lexie was the one that flushed the port with Heparin. Yep, she is our little nurse in training. She watches EVERYTHING they do to Karly and she asked the nurse if she could do it. Both Karly and the nurse agreed, so Lexie did her first port flush yesterday at the age of 5!

Monday, October 12, 2009

Rain, Rain Go Away!

It has been raining here too much! I am not crazy about all this rain. I actually carry an umbrella in my purse which is the craziest thing.

Karly had her 16th radiation treatment today which means she is half way finished with radiation. :) The radiation is starting to take its toll on Karly. She is having nausea everyday and is very tired. The past 2 days she has also been having some unexplained back pain. Today she went in for blood work and we talked to the nurse about her back pain. She was given some pain medicine to help with the pain. The pain she is experiencing is not the same pain that lead us to find her mass, it is a different pain, in a different location. Her hemoglobin levels were low so she will be receiving blood tomorrow afternoon. The doctor has order another round of lab work to be done tomorrow to compare to today's to see if maybe she is about to "bottom out" and that is why she is experiencing the back pain.

If Karly's counts recover after the blood transfusion tomorrow and hold steady she will have chemo cycle #12 on Monday, October 19.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Lexie and I got our flu shots today and we both survived! If any of you have heard the story of Lexie and her flu shot last year, you KNOW that we really accomplished something big today. I was so proud of Lexie, she sat right up in my lap and did not even shed a single tear. She does understand how important it is to keep her Sissy well.

This weekend Karly is going to try and go with Keaton to a Reptile Expo. yucky! Let's just say I will NOT be going with them! No way, no how!

We are thankful to report that Barbara Norton, a friend of Mom's who posts on here regularly to Karly, made it through her surgery today just fine. Her surgeon is Dr. Catherine Ronaghan, who did both of Mom's surgeries, it is a small world!

We again ask for you to pray for Robert Alvarado. He is still in very serious condition and needs God's healing touch. There has been a medical fund set up for him at Commercial State Bank in Seminole. Also, this Friday, Oct. 9 before the football game there will be a benefit dinner at the Wigwam Stadium parking lot.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Chemo cycle #11 is over! Yippee!

Karly's blood levels were finally back where they needed to be on Monday and she was able to do chemo cycle #11. Everything went smoothly, she received both chemo drugs at the clinic plus the mesna and then came home with a backpack of fluids. She had radiation both Monday and Tuesday and is doing great with it. Twelve radiation treatments down and only 19 more to go.

Saturday we all had a great day at a Pumpkin Painting Party at the home of one of the nursing assistants at the pedi clinic. We took to Miss Carmen right off and she is great with all the kids. She was kind enough to invite us to a party she was having. The girls both had a great time. Lexie ran around with the kids, rolled in the grass and climbed trees like a wild woman. Two of Karly's nurses and their children were also there. One of the nurses has been out since September 9th so it was great to get to see her, she is recovering from breast cancer surgery. Cancer knows NO boundaries, she takes care of children all day that are suffering from cancer and she was also hit by the same monster. She is doing great, and looked as beautiful as ever.

The rest of the week Karly will have radiation every day and blood work on Thursday. Thank you again for all your love and prayers! Please continue to pray for Robert, Monica and their children.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Karly did not get to begin chemo today as planned. Her platelet level was still too low. It was not low enough to have a transfusion but too low to start chemo. Now that she is doing radiation her levels have to be higher than they had to be before.

Keaton and Karen made it safely back to Houston. We were delighted to get to see them yesterday and today. Keaton was having scans today and possibly tomorrow. PLEASE continue to pray for him.

Karly will have her 10th radiation treatment tomorrow and we will try for chemo cycle #11 again on Monday.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

A day of good news.....

I am smiling ear to ear as I type this update! Today has been a day of great news!

Karly had an easy day. She saw Dr. Mahajan for her weekly radiation visit, had her radiation treatment and then received a pint of blood. We first thought she would just be receiving platelets today but she ended up receiving full blood. She is scheduled for chemo on Thursday.

While Karly was receiving her blood Lexie and I went down to get a snack. While we were sitting in the lobby eating we saw Shaunie and Donny about to leave. We were so EXCITED to hear that Donny had received an EXCELLENT report. He is doing great! Thank you God!

And then tonight Karly walks in and says, "Keaton is back!" WooHoo! It was not an easy journey for them to get back to Houston. When they first tried to leave the Philippines a typhoon (Ketsana) hit! But they are now back and we can't wait to see them tomorrow and give them both a big hug!

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Sorry for the delay in updating. We have had a busy week.

Karly completed 5 radiation treatments this past week and now only has 26 more to go. She say it is easy and it only takes about 20 minutes. We met with Dr. Mahajan on Tuesday and she said any side effects that Karly might have probably would not start for 3 or 4 weeks.

Thursday, Karly went in for lab work and her doctor's visit. After the lab results came back we thought she might be getting platelets on Friday. Friday's lab results showed that her platelets had not increase or decreased but she did not have to receive any platelets. Her white count was very low (1,000) so I had to start giving her injections again in hopes that her counts will be up so she can begin chemo cycle #11 on Monday.

Friday was an exciting day at MDACC we got to witness a little boy(maybe 3) ring the bell in the pedi clinic. While in radiation we got to see 3 people do the same thing. The ringing of the bell is the sign of the end of treatment.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Something new

Radiation for the first time......

Karly's first radiation treatment went just fine today. We got there a little before 5pm and she was finished about 5:45. This 1st time took longer than the rest of the treatments will take. They had to do a few scans and draw all over her with a red Sharpie :) before they began. She said it was super easy and the technicians were very nice. They told her she could bring a CD of her own music to listen to if she wanted to help pass the time.

My little nephew Kade is pretty sick, please keep him in your prayers.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Karly has finished with chemo cycle #10. She did this cycle outpatient and it was much easier on her. She enjoyed sleeping in her bed, playing her xBox and she ate MUCH better than normal. Monday through Friday she went to the clinic and received the pre-meds and 1 of the 2 chemo drugs while there; then they sent her home with a backpack containing the 2nd chemo drug, fluids and the bladder cleanser. The backpack contained a bag holding 3100mL at once, it was the biggest bag I had ever seen. I had to have a mini lesson in IV pumps before we were able to leave with it on Monday, and of course the only time I had to do anything to the pump was in the wee hours of the morning. Friday was a long day at the clinic because Karly needed 2 units of blood and each unit takes about 3 hours to transfuse. Lexie got to go with a group a kids from the hospital Friday morning to watch "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs". She loved it and it made it easier on all of us since we were at the clinic all day. Karly went to the ATC(ambulatory treatment center) Saturday to have her bag changed. I will have to admit that the pedi clinic has spoiled us! The other areas of the hospital are not as wonderful as they are in pediatrics. This morning we headed back to the ATC and she got to get rid of her backpack. I am not sure if her next chemo cycle will be this coming Thursday or a week from tomorrow (Monday).

Karly will being radiation on Monday. That is the main reason she had to receive blood Friday. Radiation will also cause her counts to drop so they basically need to be perfect since she will be doing both chemo and radiation. She is scheduled to have 31 radiation treatments. This will be done every day, Monday-Friday.

Once again I want to say THANK YOU for all the prayers, cards, gifts, calls and messages. We have the greatest friends and family in the world!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

A ray of sunshine.....

It is with a heavy heart that I write tonight. Karly is doing just fine with her current chemo cycle, but is mourning the loss of a friend here at MDACC. Beautiful Zoe lost her battle with Leukemia and passed on from this world. Karly met Zoe at the hospital school. The day before Zoe went in ICU, Zoe and Karly were asking all the nurses who their celebrity crush was. Both girls received a blood transfusion that day, they were across the hall from each other and waved at each other from their beds every time the doors opened. Zoe was definitely "a ray of sunshine." She had been here 2 years, had 2 failed bone marrow transplants and was waiting on a donor. The clinic Monday had a solemn mood, she had touched so many lives.

September is childhood Cancer Awareness month.

Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease among U.S. children between infancy and age 15.The impact of childhood cancer on our nation is staggering:

*1 child out of 5 who is diagnosed with cancer dies;

*3 out of 5 children suffer from long-term or late side effects;

*Every school day, 46 young people, or two classrooms of students, are diagnosed with cancer in this country;

*There are now more than 270,000 childhood cancer survivors in the United States, and this number is growing rapidly.

Monday, September 14, 2009

A New Routine

Today was the beginning of something new for us. It has gone great so far!

Karly had an appointment at the clinic at 2pm this afternoon to begin her 10th cycle of chemo. She is doing this cycle outpatient. She got in her room in the PATC around 2:30 and once her port was accesses she got started with cycle 10. While at the clinic Karly receive all her premeds and one of the chemo drugs. She was then sent home with a backpack full of fluids, the 2nd chemo drug and Mesna(bladder protector). We were in the car headed home by 4:30. I can't even begin to tell you how great it feels not to be in the hospital! When we got back home, Nanny had cooked supper and Karly said, "this smells SO much better than the hospital."

We received the results from her last PET scan today, and it was good news. The mass still has not decreased in size, but has decreased in intensity and is responding to treatment. Her chest was clear!

Karly will head back to the clinic at 2pm tomorrow.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Good Changes!

Karly went in early this morning for lab work and then she headed to the PET scan. The PET scan takes a total of about 2 hours. We do not know the results of the PET scan, they were not up when we saw Dr. Herzog at 11:00am.

Karly and I have been visiting with one of Dr. Herzog's other patients and she receives her chemo on an outpatient basis and Karly was very interested in doing that. So, today she asked the doc if it was possible, Dr. Herzog said since we are so close to the hospital(1.6 miles)and since we have always been compliant (I didn't know there was a choice) that she was fine with it. So, chemo was delayed until Monday.

The plan is: we will go to the clinic and spend 3-4 hours receiving the chemo drugs and then Karly will come home will a back pack of fluids. We will return to the clinic the following day and continue this for 5 days. We never thought we would be happy about chemo being delayed but we are thrilled that Karly can come home instead of spending so much time in the hospital. When this all first began, Dana was preparing me for all that would take place down here and I remember when she told me they sent Daniel home with a backpack I thought "there is NO WAY I could do that." Now Karly and I are asking, "what ALL can we do at home so we don't have to be here all the time."

We spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying time with Nanny & Pa. We went to eat and then the girls went shopping. Poor Pa! :)

Now is time for a great big THANK YOU to all the great folk at Westside! We got a HUGE box from them yesterday. Last night, Nanny, Pa and I had the best time watching the girls go through it. It was packed with all kinds of wonderful things. I can never put into words how thankful we are to be a part of such a wonderful church family!

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Karly's Post

Hey everyone this is Karly herself =)

I really don't know what to say. Of course I gotta say thank you everyone for the support and prayers. If it wasn't for you guys and my good friends I woulda already went insane. Haha, you guys give me something to read and smile about when I'm sitting on the couch bored.

I don't know if mom said anything about it or not so I'll go ahead and say, Thank you Seminole High School Band =) I got my two shirts the other day, my band shirt and black out shirt. (I must say they are alot better than last year I think haha)

As you prolly know I gotta get more blood I think and cause of that I got banned from Monster and Vemon energy drinks, which isn't that cool, but I guess it's for the best. Haha

We also just got back from Kemah last night and it was really fun! We rode on this boat called the Boardwalk Beast and it tours all the way around the bay. The ride lasted 45 minutes, but it was the slow ride, I told my mom we shoulda rode the fast one where it cut that time into 20 minutes and you'd get soaked. Haha

I really miss all you guys. I feel so outta place without being able to go to school every morning and getting to hang out with my friends on the weekends. It's a huge change from doing all that to suddenly doing nothing but hospital stuff basicly. I'm still adjusting to it. But seriously, I miss the band a WHOLE lot, I'm sure they'll be glad to have me back but I haven't touched my trumpet in forever so I bet they'll be like oh no... Haha

I want everyone to know that my friends are seriously wonderful people. Like ther perfect example of a great friend is my best friend Marcus. Once he found out I'd be stuck in Houston he told me he was getting a job so he could come see me. And in July he came and stayed for a full week. Haha he brought like 300 dollars or something like that for us to spend and I kept telling him that was too much money for a kid to have. But yeah, it ment alot to me that he was willing to work on the weekends just to come see me.

Then there of course is Keaton and Karen. I love those two. Seriously, if it wasn't for them I would have gone crazy, and so would have mom. They have helped us out so much. And I miss them so, and I pray for them to come back safe and doing much better than they were before. They are so smart and strong and I know they can do this. I don't have a doubt in my mind.

I remember at the end of last school year I visited the school one last time to clean out my locker and visit some teachers, and when I went to the choir room I also talked to some friends and they were asking me all sorts of questions. Well we had an exchange student from Japan named Dicekay(We just called him Dice) and he looked so confused and finally someone just told him that I had a tumor and he said, "Ohh... What is a tumor?" Then we explained that to him and then I told him I had cancer. I will never forget this, I laughed so hard. His eyes got real big and his mouth dropped. "Ohh.... What is this cancer??? It sounds really, really bad!" I think they finally got everything explained to him but I thought it was really funny.

Now my mom said the goal is to come home mid novemeber. I pray every night that we get to go home then. I'm so homesick. But I gotta say my favorite holiday is thanksgiving and so there is no way that I'd miss thanksgiving at my Nanny's house! Nu uh! The food is all sooo good... Yumm. So if not I still plan, irregardless, to be home around thanksgiving cause I wouldn't miss that for the world.

I wish there was a way to speed up time and just hurry and get to be home. I can't wait to be able to give everyone of you the hug that you guys deserve. Ya'll are the best support system out there.

And I wanna thank my Nanny and Pa for watching out for our animals. You guys wouldn't believe how much I miss them. I heard they fell in love with our guinea pig, but I could see how. Our guinea pig is so cool you guys. His name is Baby Chip(and I bought that lil guy a couch for his cage the other day haha, he can eat it while he's sittin on it too!) and he's not like other guinea pigs, his fur is all wild, like he seriously has a mohawk! Haha. Then I also heard my nanny and pa loves our cocker spaniel so much that they have her at their house! haha, that's good for all three of them. I remember that dog liked to be with people so much and she is a good older dog so she'll just sit there with you, and that's great for nanny and pa. Plus now they have someone to spoil haha. Then I also heard our cats are even getting the royal treatment from them haha. But of course there is that one animal that is hyper and makes a mess. And that's my dog Chika. Haha, I've heard she's been makin some messes back at home. I of course promised that, that will change when I get home, cause she'll be getting her walks everyday and some training in. But I miss my Chika so much.

And I miss Seminole's weather. The rain here is nice, but wow it's so humid! I'm not crazy about it.

Well, I would write a whole lot more, but mom just finished cooking dinner so I should go eat before it gets cold.

I'll try and post again one day to rant on about random stuffs. =)

I love ya'll!
~ Karly, Herself.
Karly went in this morning for blood work and her hemoglobin levels were low again. If I could get her to eat some liver that might help. HaHa....I would not eat it myself. The nurse that was covering for the regular nurse called and said for Karly to be there at 9am for repeat labs and possible blood transfusion in the morning. An hour later, Beatriz, the PA, called and said Dr. Herzog said we could wait until Thursday as long as Karly was not symptomatic. So, we will head to the clinic at 7:30 Thursday morning for labs and then on to the PET scan.

Nanny and Pa will be here tomorrow! Lexie will sure be glad when she doesn't have to get up so early on Thursday.

Thank you for all the continued support! And Karen & Keaton also say "thank you."

Monday, September 7, 2009

Labor Day 2009

50 years ago today and on Labor Day my big brother was born! Happy Birthday Bubba!

Last Thursday, Karly went in for blood work and her counts were low. On Friday, she had repeat lab work done and had to receive platelets. The outpatient side of the clinic was packed Friday and Karly was the easy patient. Her nurse told us all the other patients that received a transfusion had a reaction. We were sure glad Karly didn't follow suit.

We will head back in tomorrow morning for blood work. Her PET scan was rescheduled for Thursday because it had not been pre approved by insurance as of Friday afternoon. She will also be admitted for 5 days of chemo on Thursday.

Monday, August 31, 2009

I thought I would just take some time and update everyone as to where Karly is at in her treatment plan.

Karly has completed 9 of 14 cycles of chemo. Looking at my calendar she should receive her 14th cycle of chemo on November 5. That is if everything goes perfectly and chemo is never delayed. She will have her 2nd PET scan on Tuesday, September 6. After the repeat PET scan Dr. Herzog and Dr. Mahajan will get together and decide when to start radiation. Radiation will be 5 days a week for 6 weeks.

Thank you for all the continued support. Your prayers get us through each day!

And remember to DONATE BLOOD! :)

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Well...I bragged to Karen and Keaton yesterday evening about Karly not having to go back to the clinic until Thursday. After I finished typing that post, I went to checked on Karly and she was VERY warm. I took her temperature and she had a fever of 104.1. This is the first time she has had a fever! She kept telling me she was fine, but a fever of 104.1 is NOT fine when you have a good immune system much less when you have been going through chemo! I called the pediatric impatient unit and talked to the charge nurse, she then relayed everything to the doctors on call and called me back and told us to go to the ER.

We get to the ER and finally the nursing assistant comes to take Karly back for vital signs and when she comes back the the waiting room the pedi doctor is with her and says we are going to a room. So Lexie and I get up and start heading that way, well the nursing assistant decided she needed to act like she was the boss and starting throwing a fit because I had Lexie with me. I told her that I guess she had forgot that MD Anderson was a "family centered" treatment facility and if she wanted to sit in the waiting room and watch Lexie she was more than welcome to. Needless to say, she shut up and never came back around. Come to find out she had just got her butt chewed out by the pedi doctor because Karly's vitals had not even been taken and we had been there over 30 minutes and there was not anyone else waiting.

Karly's fever had dropped to 101.8 by the time they took it at the ER so that was some better. She had no other symptoms, just the fever. The ER nurse was GREAT, she started an IV and drew blood. A second set of lab work was ordered which meant more blood but this nurse was great. Karly's lab work came back ok. Her white count was low and had dropped from the labs that were drawn before she was discharged on Friday, but that is to be expected after chemo and she had not started her neupogen injections yet. They gave her Tylenol and we were discharged about 3am. Karly has continued to run a low fever today, but feels fine. I will call Dr. Herzog first thing in the morning and see what she wants to do.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Tuesday morning Karly had to go back to the clinic and receive blood. We got in early and both girls slept the entire time. Karly was exhausted and went to bed at 3 that afternoon and slept until 7:30am Wednesday morning.

Yesterday, we had to be at the clinic at 8:30am. We saw Dr. Herzog and were in a room by 1pm! Karly did really well with this round of chemo. She was awake more than usually and did not experience any nausea. Of course, they give her anti-nausea drugs to prevent nausea, but they do not always work. Last night was movie night on the pediatric floor; Karly enjoyed watching a movie in the teen hangout while Lexie and I watched one in the pedidome.

Monday, August 24, 2009

We hope everyone had a GREAT 1st day back at school today.

Karly is enrolled at Bellaire High School and will do the home bound program until we get back home to Seminole. Miss Lexie is not going to school until next year. I had already made that decision before any of this happened with Karly.

Karly went in this morning for blood work. Both her hemoglobin and platelet levels are low so we go back in at 7:30 in the morning. She will receive blood and probably platelets. The 5 days of chemo seem to be hard for her body to recover from. She will have 1 day of chemo on Thursday.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Karly got out of the hospital around 4:30 Monday afternoon. She was able to do her last dose of Mesna at home again, which kept us from staying until the 6pm dose. Apparently, not many people take the Mesna orally. The hospital did not have enough pills for her to do both her 3pm and 6pm dose at home. The nurses have told us several times that it has a terrible taste but Karly says she doesn't taste anything. But, after 5 days in the hospital she might say anything to get to go home!

We had a great night Monday night! Christopher, Kade, Kory & Crystal came to the apartment, the kids swam, we ordered pizza, the kids swam some more. Karly even felt up to going out and watching the kids swim. It was wonderful family time. Tuesday before they headed home Karly had to take them to eat at Lupe's, of course. :)

Karly went in for an echocardiogram and blood work this morning. Her appointment was at 8am and she did not go back for the echo until 9:30. Anyhow, the reason for the echo is to make sure her heart is ok because of one of the chemo drugs, Doxorubicin(AKA "the red devil"). Possible side effects of it include interference with heart function.

She goes back Monday for blood work and next Thursday for 1 day chemo.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Karly finished up day 4 today. She has had a fairly easy time this round. She has been able to rest and has experienced very little nausea. She will start chemo in the morning around 8am and we should be out of here sometime tomorrow(Monday) evening.

Kory and his family made it late Friday night. Lexie just about drove us nuts asking every 10 minutes, "when is Kory Neil going to be here." Saturday morning, Kory, Crystal, Christopher and Kade came to the hospital and got to spend some time with Karly. Then they took Lexie with them. Lexie has had a blast with them the past 2 days. Yesterday, they went to the Downtown Aquarium and today they BRAVED the Children's Museum. Lexie and I went to dinner with the boys while Crystal stayed with Karly at the hospital. I think Crystal probably enjoyed a little bit of peace and quiet after having 3 kids in Houston for 2 days.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Karly is back in the hospital for chemo cycle #8. We arrived at the clinic yesterday around 10:15 for lab work. At 11:00 we saw Dr. Herzog. She confirmed that we would do another PET scan after cycle #9 and then begin radiation. We are very comfortable with the radiation treatment plan, radiation has advanced a great deal from what it used to be. All of Karly's lab work came back good and we were in a room before 3pm!

Between the doctor visit and be admitted to a room, we got Karly registered for school. She is going to go ahead and enroll in a school here and do the home bound program. This will work better than her trying to complete all the work she misses from home.

Karly's chemo started last night at 10pm. YES, we were in a room 7 hours before they began chemo! Very frustrating but at least we were in a room. She is about to start day 2 of chemo and has been able to rest all day.

Thank you again for all the prayers, cards, calls and gifts!

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Sunday night we had dinner with Victoria, Tamera and Elisabeth. We really enjoyed spending time with them.

Monday Karly's blood levels were finally where they needed to be. She is scheduled to go in Thursday for chemo cycle #8.

We are so excited that Kory, Crystal and my 2 GREAT nephews Christopher & Kade will be here at the end of the week! Lexie is driving us crazy wanting to know when they will be here. :)

We also want to share some great news about Keaton. His sister, Katie posted an update on his caringbridge this evening. Keaton & Karen have made it safely to the Philippines and Keaton has already started treatments.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

We hope everyone is having a great weekend. It is King George Mania around here today. George Strait is at the Reliant Stadium today, which is across the street from us. I could probably sell my parking spot at the apartment for a good chunk of change today! Our apartment is closer than where some of the people are having to park.

Karly went back in yesterday for lab work and her platelet level had dropped even more so she received platelets yesterday afternoon. Her white count has also dropped so I will continue to give her the injections. She goes back in on Monday for another round of blood work.

Our dear friends, Keaton and Karen will be leaving for the Philippines on Sunday. We got to see them for a few minutes yesterday between Keaton's scans yesterday. Keaton is traveling to the Philippines to try an experiment treatment which has shown to be effective in several different cancers. We pray this is the treatment that will stop Keaton's disease! We are so excited that Keaton has this chance. We will miss them terribly because they have become such great friends, but we can't wait to hear all the great things that they learn about this new treatment. Please keep them in your prayers as they make this journey.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Can you believe it is already August and school is just around the corner? We sure can't! Karly will stay enrolled in Seminole High School and she will complete her work through the school at MD Anderson.

Tuesday evening, we had a night out at the ballpark. We had a wonderful time. The Astros did not have a good night but we stayed until the very last out. I will post some pictures from the game.

Yesterday, we had lunch with Dana and Daniel Quisenberry. They were here in Houston for their check ups and they both got great reports. They are such a great inspiration to us. Dana is so full of knowledge and support for me and Daniel KNOWS exactly what Karly is going through and it is so great to see him now, so healthy! We loved Karly's radiation doctor the first day we met her, but we love her even more now that we found out she was also Dana's! Dana is proof they she is a GREAT doctor!

Karly went in today for regular blood work. She has had an irritating cough for the past few days, so the doctor listened to her to make sure her lungs were clear and she didn't need a chest xray. Her lungs sounded fine and she is taking some cough syrup. Her platelet level dropped 1/3 of what it was on Monday so we have to go back in tomorrow for more blood work and I expect her to receive platelets. Monday her level was 150,000, today it was 46,000 and it needs to be 150,000 or higher. Her white count has not increased much either even with me still giving her the injections. So, as they say "she will have her tank topped off" tomorrow.

Thank you for all the continued support.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Happy Birthday Nona!

Happy Birthday to Nona! Thanks for taking care of my dog, Harvest!

Today has been an easy day. Karly went in for lab work at 10am and we were out of there by 10:20! Her hemoglobin and platelet levels were good, but her white blood cell count was just ok. I will continue giving her shots at least until she has lab work on Thursday.

We are very excited about tomorrow. Thursday, we were given tickets to the Astros game for tomorrow night. The seats are AMAZING, they are in the Diamond Club area right behind home plate. Of course, me being a Dagley...I LOVE baseball.

Friday, July 31, 2009

We began the day yesterday bright and early, Karly had to be in clinic at 7am for lab work. We saw the doctor by 8am, and she said the plan is to do 3 more cycles of chemo, now just 2, and then begin radiation. Karly will continue on with chemo while she goes through radiation. Another PET scan will be done before we begin radiation to compare with the one she had last week. That was the 1st PET scan she had so it will serve as a baseline. We were all very happy that some "funny" spots that had showed up in her lungs on the most recent lung CT did not show up on the PET scan. GREAT NEWS!

We spent the day waiting for a room and around 5:00 we made it in a room.

About 8:45pm, Lexie tumbled off the hospital bed. Lexie usually is quite dramatic when she gets a booboo, but last night she was not being her usual dramatic self and that worried me. :) Her left arm was really hurting her and the charge nurse suggested I take her to the ER. They were nice enough to let me take her to the ER her at MDA. Well I say nice, we spent almost 4 hours in the ER. But after seeing the doctor and having 6 xrays, I was so thankful that Lexie had not broken her arm. I would call the nurses station and check on Karly during the 4 hours we were in the ER and she stayed asleep the whole time. :) She missed all the action.

Lexie's arm is still very sore today and has slowed her down a bit. She is not crazy about all the attention it caused. I was talked to the school teacher about what happened earlier and Lexie said, "come on its over, that's enough."

Karly is done with one more round of chemo. Her hemoglobin levels were low yesterday and chemo didn't do them any favors. She is receiving a blood transfusion right now. Once she is finished receiving blood we will get to leave. Her sweet nurse today was from Midland. Small world!

These people here have there work cut out for them in the next few hours. Half of the pedi floor(9th) is moving up to the 12th floor so a new call light system can be installed. That means ALL the patients and all there stuff has to be moved within the next few hours. We are so glad we are leaving. I am sure the nurses are glad too, that makes one less patient to worry about. After, they finish this half they will do the same thing to the other side of the floor. yuck!

Monday, July 27, 2009

I apologize for the delay in posting but there hasn't been much to post. We had a nice, restful weekend. Friday night, we had a girls' night out. We went and saw G-Force. It was a super cute movie. We then had dinner at Red Robin, which was a first for all 3 for us. We spent the rest of the weekend relaxing.

This morning, Karly went in for routine blood work. Her counts were not great but they weren't bad either. I gave her the last injection she will receive before Thursday. Say a prayer that her counts will be right where they need to be so she can get one more round of chemo behind her on Thursday. We are scheduled to be at the clinic at 7am Thursday morning for labs and the cycle 7, this will just be a 1 day cycle.

Thank you all for the continued prayers. Your love and support helps us get through each day.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Karly was able to take her last 2 doses of Mesna by mouth yesterday so we got out of the hospital around 4pm. The Mesna is given at 1, 3, 5, 8 and 11 hrs following chemo to protect the bladder. Karly did not experience any vomiting yesterday and besides being tired she felt pretty good. She had to follow a specific diet last night and this morning to prepare for the PET scan. Last night for a snack she could have cheese and salami slices. HAHA If any of you have ever been around Karly when she eats, you can only imagine the look I got when I said salami.

Karly had her PET scan today and she slept right through it. We got to visit with Daniel and his mom, Laura today at the hospital. They will be heading home(Sudan) Friday or Saturday and will be back here in September. We are so glad they are getting to go home but we will miss our West Texas buddies! :)

We are finished at the hospital for the week.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Day 4 of Cycle 6

Today was day 4 of 5 days of chemo. The first 3 days of chemo were nice and smooth. Today got off to a good start. Karly got up had breakfast, a shower and a nice visit from Victoria and her dad, John. Chemo started around 10am and was done about 2 hours later. Karly has been having body aches and today they have been really bad. They gave her pain meds a couple times and then the vomiting kicked in. But, they don't let her vomit or even feel nauseous with out trying to find a way to fix it. Right now she is up and eating chicken strips from Sonic.

We hope to be out of here tomorrow around 5pm. Karly will have a PET scan on Wednesday.

I want to Thank everyone for Lexie's birthday cards and gifts. She had a great birthday last week!

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Karly finally got in a room at about 7:30 last night. She started chemo at 10:30pm and is doing well. She sleeps most of the time due to the anti-nausea meds and one of the chemo drugs. We will be here through Tuesday evening.

Before coming to the hospital last night, we got to spend some time with Donny and Shaunie. Karly and Donny compared stories and battle wounds. Donny is doing great and looks wonderful!

Mom and Dad have been here since Tuesday and been helping entertain Lexie. Dad is heading home this evening, but Mom is staying until Wednesday or Thursday.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Wednesday morning we met with the surgeon, Dr. Lewis. After visiting with her about how aggressive the surgery would be we decided to only use surgery as a last resort. This morning we saw both Dr. Herzog and her intern and they both agreed with our decision. Karly will go through more chemo and then begin radiation. Dr. Herzog and Dr. Mahajan will work out the best plan on how to handle the schedule with chemo and radiation. Dr. Herzog does want a PET scan performed after this cycle of chemo, so that will be done one day next week. Dr. Herzog showed us what she called "centralized necrosis" in the mass on the MRI image. Basically, that means dying cells, which is good news.

Karly was scheduled to be admitted for chemo cycle #6 today but she was not because there were no open beds. We were not the only ones sent home, there we several kids who had to go home. The plan is for the nurse to call us when they have a room for Karly.

Wednesday night we had a birthday party with Nanny and Pa for Lexie. We had a GREAT time!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

MRI results

This morning we met with Dr. Mahajan for the 2nd time, we absolutely love her! She is the radiation doctor. She shared the results of Karly's scans with us.

The is no considerable decrease in the size of the mass but there appears to be change on the inside of the mass. What that means is, it appears the tumor(cancer) cells are dying. Karly has not had anymore pain, which is another sign that the chemo is working. We were kinda expecting these results. We were told from the beginning that this is a slow growing tumor and that meant it would be slow to respond to treatment. We were very happy to learn that the mass had not grown and there were no other signs of tumors anywhere else. We have been here long enough to know that is VERY important!

We will see the surgeon, Dr. Lewis, tomorrow morning. Dr. Lewis, Dr. Mahajan & Dr. Herzog will all meet tomorrow afternoon and discuss the next step. We will meet with Dr. Herzog Thursday morning before Karly starts the 6th cycle of chemo. No matter when or if surgery is done Karly will have to go through 14 cycles of chemo.

Mom and Dad will be here this evening! We are going to celebrate Lexie's birthday and they will be here to help with the 5 days of chemo.

Thank you for all you continue to do for us!

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Karly finished up with all her scans yesterday. We will know the results some time next week. She is scheduled for chemo cycle 6 on Thursday, July 16 and no matter what the results of the scans are she will go ahead with that cycle. Karly's blood is still giving her a little bit of trouble so we are taking things very easy. Her platelets had increased more yesterday, but still not where they should be and her hemoglobin level was low.

Please stay a prayer for our dear friend Keaton and his mom, Karen. Keaton has had a rough week this past week and is in the hospital.
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/keatonlee

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Yesterday, Karly received platelets because of a low platelet level, however her white blood cells count was on the rise so no more injections for a few days. Karly was having some pain yesterday, this pain is not the same as what she had before we came. This pain is related to the high level of white blood cells.

This morning we hit the floor running, literally, we were supposed to be in the clinic at 7:15am and that is when we woke up! oops Today, Karly had chest and pelvic xrays, a CT scan, a bone scan and blood work (almost an everyday thing). Good news from the blood work, her platelet level had tripled. Karly joked that she got Nic Latta's platelets. "Maybe I got Nic's and will be strong like him."

Nic had recently donated blood and platelets at a blood drive in Seminole. We know that some one benefited greatly from it. If you can, please donate.

The first part of last week we met Daniel and his mom, Laura. They are from Sudan and it was great talking with people from 'home'. Ok, so Sudan isn't Seminole but close enough, only 100 miles away. Daniel's sisters noticed Karly's State Band t-shirt and that it said Seminole. We got to send some time with them again today while Karly was waiting for her bone scan.

In between scans we went to see Donny Selman and were so excited to find his room empty. A nurse told us he had been discharged. I don't think we have ever been so happy to miss someone! :) Karly has already said she wants to take Donny to her favorite Mexican food place (Lupe's) to eat, so we all plan to go as soon as Donny feels up to it!

Karly is scheduled for an MRI and lab work tomorrow.

Monday, July 6, 2009

2 busy weeks ahead

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July weekend. We made it to Kemah, after 2 hours in traffic, to watch amazing fireworks. Karly has really enjoyed having Sam and Marcus here. She misses home, but having them here has made it easier for her.

These next 2 weeks are going to be busy for Karly. Today she had lab work done. We were not planning on going back until Thursday, but plans are always changing, and Karly will go back Wednesday at 11am. Her platelet level is low and if it is not up Wednesday morning she will receive platelets there in the pedi clinic. Thursday she is scheduled for chest xrays, a CT scan and a bone scan. Friday she will have another MRI, she HATES having MRIs. I completely understand why, that is the loudest thing!

Next week is full of clinic visits for blood work and doctor appointments. We will have follow up visits with Dr. Lewis, the orthopaedic surgeon, and Dr. Mahajan, the radiation doctor. On Thursday, July 16th (Lexie's 5th birthday), Karly will be admitted for cycle 6 of chemo.

After Karly's lab work this morning, we went and sat with Shaunie Selman and her family. Donny had brain surgery at MD Anderson today. The surgery went well and Donny was awake and talking when I left at 6:30 this evening. Please keep them in your prayers.

Thank you all for your continued support. We love you!

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

the security breaching brisket

For those of you that have spent any amount of time with Karly you know how picky of an eater she is! Well, one of her very FAVORITE things is brisket, but not just any brisket will do. She LOVES the brisket that the Seminole firemen cook. But, who doesn't?!? She had asked in May if there was any way they could mail her one. The guys recently cooked briskets and Karly received hers via UPS this morning.

However, the brisket did not make it here without causing some problems. The package was supposed to arrive by 9am and when it wasn't here by 10am my mom started having a fit. Amanda checked the status of the package online and it had been "delayed by government security official beyond UPS's control." Mom, Donna and Amanda all start calling around to any UPS office/supervisor they could get in touch with and none of them have ever seen this message before.

Makes you wonder?? Was it something used when marinating the brisket, that "secret sauce"? Or was it the two women that packed it up? Those 2 women would be my mom & Glenda Bass, so you never know! haha
Anyhow, we got the brisket, still frozen and we will enjoy it this 4th of July.

Karly had a good night. Her 2 best buddies, Samantha & Marcus, are here.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

out of the hospital

Karly has one more cycle behind her. She did have to have a blood transfusion today because her hemoglobin levels were low and had been since Thursday. Her white blood cell count is over the top, which causes her to have bone pain. The doctors are going to delay the start of her injections to see if that can prevent the sharp rise in her white blood cells. Her counts need to be high but hers shoot up too high and it causes her discomfort.

We are now going to try and get some real sleep. :)

Monday, June 29, 2009

Cycle #5

After spending most of the day waiting for lab results, then waiting for a room cycle #5 is in progress. We are getting used to waiting. We talked with a man and his daughters from Philadelphia today and he said, "you spend so much time waiting here, but it is definitely worth it." We couldn't agree more!

Karly's hemoglobin levels are still low so after chemo she will receive two units of blood. She is not crazy about the idea since she is still squeamish at the sight or even the thought of blood.

Tonight was BINGO night! woohoo All the kids, the little ones and the older ones always have fun. Karly's room is next door to her friend Keaton's so they have been able to hang out.

I will post tomorrow and let everyone know how Karly made it through the night and this cycle of chemo.

I want to say HELLO to my two adorable great nephews, Christopher & Kade! We love you and miss you! Christopher, I hear you did GREAT on your TAKS test, tell your daddy I said to bring you down here and we will go to the beach to celebrate. :)

Friday, June 26, 2009

Its Friday :)

I have almost let a week go by without updating, oops!

Sunday, Father's Day, we drove about 30 minutes south and picked up Karly's friend Sam. Sam is at her grandparents' for the summer so she was able to come stay with us for a little bit. Monday morning Karly had to go in for blood work. She gave Sam the grand tour of the hospital. That afternoon we went to the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences.

It has been very hot here in Houston! I think I heard that a new record was set here yesterday! We got a big box of craft things from Cynthia Clack and her group in Odessa yesterday and we will be using it to keep us entertained inside, out of the heat!

Karly went back in yesterday for more blood work. Her levels were low, white blood cells were low so I will continue to give her injections and her hemoglobin was low. Because Karly feels well and has plenty of energy the doctor decided against the blood transfusion today! Thank God!

Karly's 5th cycle of chemo is scheduled for Monday. Of course, it will depend on her blood results Monday morning. The plan is after cycle 5 to re image and see what progress has been made.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Happy Fathers Day!

Karly's birthday was on Friday and if you have to be in the hospital on your birthday I guess the Children's Hospital at MD Anderson is the place to be. The nurses sang to her, she got balloons, a cake, a card and a Target gift card from the hospital. Lexie and I had decorated the apartment for her, I think Lexie enjoyed the decorations the most!:) The 3 of us enjoyed pizza, cake and Karly opened all her cards and gifts from everyone. Then we went to SLEEP!

Karly is doing good. We are so thankful that this round was easier than the last round of 5 days. Yesterday, she even felt like going out for Mexican food at one of our new favorite places.

We both would like to ask all of you amazing prayer warriors to add our friends Keaton and his mom, Karen to your prayers. Keaton had testing done this past weeks and the results were not what we had hoped for. Keaton is a very strong young man and we know he will continue to beat the odds! Keaton and Karen have been here since September of 2007 and we look to them often for advice and information. They have become great friends to us. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/keatonlee

Thank you so much for all the cards, calls, text messages, flowers, and gifts for Karly's birthday. She really did have a good birthday even though she was not at home!

Friday, June 19, 2009

Happy Birthday Karly!

Today is Karly's 15th birthday! :)

Karly started her 5th day of chemo at 1am and was finished by about 3am. We are all very ready to get out of the hospital and head back to our home away from home. We hope she will be discharged shortly after noon.

I will update later today. Have a great Friday!

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Day 3 of Cycle 4

Day 4 will begin soon. Every day they move it up 4 hours so they will begin day 4 at 3 am. Karly is glad because she will (hopefully) be out of the hospital Friday afternoon, which is her birthday.

Tuesday Lexie got a break from the hospital. Kelli Clanton Cataline came and got Lexie and kept her for the day. Lexie had a great time playing with Kelli's two girls, Audrey and Sarah. Lexie will be going back to Kelli's again tomorrow. I can't thank Kelli enough for entertaining Lexie.

Karly got to spend sometime on Tuesday with her step-brother Layne before his surgery today. I don't know much about his surgery, the last I heard he was in recovery. Please keep him in your prayers, he will be here in Houston at Shriner's for several weeks.

Today went well. Karly was finished with chemo by 9am and spent most of the day asleep. She has only has small bouts of nausea which have easily been taken care of with anti-nausea meds. We are so thankful that this round is going better.

Monday, June 15, 2009

So Far, So Good

Day 1 of 5 days of chemo is over with! :)

We were in a room shortly before noon today, which is a record for us. Karly was finished with chemo by 6pm tonight, just in time for bingo. These 2 drugs really make her tired so she sleeps alot, which is good because there isn't much else to do. Dr. Herzog changed her anti-nausea medicines for this round because the last round of five days was very rough. So far, so good!

Kenneth is here until Wednesday and we got to see Linda Nichols this morning. Linda was here with a cousin, it sure was great seeing a face from home.

I am slowly getting more comfortable with the hospital scene, which I never thought possible! Today I went through all Karly's lab results on the computer screen while we were waiting on the doctor, and by now I now which ones to look for and what numbers are good/bad. Karly was just rolling her eyes. During chemo, her blood pressure must be taken every 15 minutes while one if the drugs in being administered. Well, Lexie and I had gone to the playroom, (no I didn't leave Karly alone, Kenneth was here) and when I got back the last recorded BP was very low. I manually started the machine, while Karly is telling me to leave things alone, and had it check her blood pressure again. It was much better. I KNOW I am probably turning into a nurses worst nightmare, but I told the nurse when she came in why there was an extra reading on the machine. :) Karly just shakes her head!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Karly went in today for blood work and her counts were good. So, the plan is to start 5 days of chemo on Monday. Karly's birthday is on Friday the 19th so she will be in the hospital during her birthday, she is pretty bummed about that!

We are all pretty excited that we will be kitten-sitting for Keaton this weekend. Him and his mom are going to Florida for a family weekend and needed someone to watch their new kitten. We sure need some animal time, the 3 of us are animal people and are missing all of ours very much.

Monday, June 8, 2009

Monday's update

We had a great day Friday. First at the sibling party and then Dream Night at the Houston Zoo. Both girls really enjoyed themselves. I was completely exhausted by the time we got home. :)

Karly is doing well and went today for blood work. Her levels are just ok, so she will continue receiving injections until at least Thursday.

Karly's step-brother, Layne, will be here in Houston for surgery next week. We hate that he is going to have surgery but we are excited to get to see Jaquetta, Kenneth and Layne.

Miss Lexie is keeping us busy and already making friends with the kids at the clinic.

I want to thank everyone for your continued support. All the prayers, cards, gifts, emails, and phone calls are wonderful. They make the days much easier.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

it rains here, without hail.....

The past 2 days have been calm here in Houston. Karly has been resting, eating, and playing her xBox, of course! Wednesday evening we went to a pond near here and we enjoyed getting to feed the ducks, fish, turtles, and birds. Today was uneventful, which is good. Lexie and I went to the library and she signed up for the summer reading program, I will being reading books nonstop! We have a fun day planned for tomorrow. The girls have a party at the hospital for patients and their siblings at lunch time. Then tomorrow evening we are going to Dream Night at the Houston Zoo for patients and their families.

Karly has a buddy here in Houston, Keaton. He is an ol' pro at this. He has been here since 2007, so we ask him and his mom, Karen, tons of questions. Please add him to your prayers.

Mom is still in the hospital and will have more test tomorrow, so we should know more after that.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

one more cycle down

One more cycle of chemo is now behind Karly. She finally got in a room yesterday around 4 and chemo began about 9pm. They had to wait for Karly & Lexie to whip everyone in bingo before they started Karly's chemo! :) Lexie stayed the night at the hospital with us, we hadn't been in the room 15 minutes and she had the nurses bringing her ice cream.

Karly is doing ok, she is tired and is resting. Hopefully tomorrow she will have some energy and a little bit of an appetite back.

My mom is back in the hospital in Seminole for dehydration. If you will please include her in your prayers.

Sunday, May 31, 2009

We had a great weekend. Saturday, Karly and I drove to Canyon Lake to the Songer family reunion. It was only about a 3 hours drive from Houston. We had a wonderful time getting to visit with family and of course finally getting to see Lexie! Lexie came back to Houston with us and will stay as long as possible.

Bub and Nona had several bags of stuff for us, but one of the prized goodies was a cap from the Seminole Fire Department! haha You guys are great and she thinks ALOT of all of you. Thanks for everything and she can't wait for her brisket! :)

Today, we went and watched "Up". It was very cute! After the movie Lexie got to swim for a while, not long enough according to her. Then we headed to Razzoo's because Karly wanted fried pickles! :)

We go back in at 10 in the morning to have blood drawn and if her levels are good she will have chemo tomorrow. Lexie will be with us, so we may need an extra prayer or two! ;)

Thursday, May 28, 2009

not today...

Karly's blood counts were too low for chemo today. We will go back on Monday and try again. There were no beds open today anyhow so I guess today was not the right day for chemo.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Happy Birthday Pa Dagley!

Karly says, "Happy Birthday Pa!" Today is Dad's birthday :)

I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! We have already been to the hospital this morning and are back at the apartment; Karly had to have blood work this morning. She is getting ready for her next round of chemo on Thursday.

She has been feeling great and is wearing her xBox out! :) Lexie will be here on Sunday and we are both very excited about that. She will be staying at least 10 days, possibly longer.

Friday, May 22, 2009

a day @ the beach

Karly felt like taking a small day trip today. So, before Nona left we headed to Galveston for the day. Today was a perfect day, not too hot. Galveston is still recovering from the hurricane last year but it was beautiful. We enjoyed a great lunch and relaxed on the beach. What a wonderful break from all the medical stuff.

We hope you all have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Karly went in today for blood work and her counts are up so no more injections. She only had to have 2 this time after chemo. Woo-Hoo!!

Nona has been cooking away and filling the freezer with yummy food. It has been wonderful having her here. She will be going home tomorrow. She will go from taking care of me and Karly to taking care of Lexie. However, Bub and Brian have been doing a great job of that while Nona has been here. Lexie will be going with Bub, Nona and the boys to the Songer family reunion at Canyon Lake next weekend and I am going to go get her from them on Sunday. Karly and I can't wait to see her. She will be here for a little over a week.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

out of the hospital

We finally made it out of the hospital last night. Karly was so glad to be out and back in her bed at the apartment. She is slowly working on getting her appetite back. She has spent all day today in bed resting and trying to regain some strength. This round of chemo was difficult but we learned some things and will be prepared for it the next time she has the 5 days of chemo.

I actually got a "Bravo" from her today when I gave her the injection. So, I guess I am improving. That is definitely a good thing! She will go in on Thursday for blood work to check her levels.

Thank you for continuing to pray for us. We know our strength comes from all the prayers being said for us.

Monday, May 18, 2009

waiting to be discharged

Karly is finished with this round of chemo and we are just waiting to get out of the hospital. We all know how that goes, wait, wait, wait.

Nona made it here on Friday and it has been great having her here.

I will let everyone know when we make it back to the apartment!

Saturday, May 16, 2009

a long day

Today has been a long day for Karly. She started the 3rd day of the 5 day chemo today. She has felt pretty bad all day. She hasn't been able to get comfortable and rest and she hasn't been able to eat. They just gave her some more medicine so hopefully she will start feeling a little better soon.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back.


Friday, May, 15, 2009 9:45pm

I hope hope the sky in Seminole is clear and everyone is preparing to hear Dana speak at the Gaines County Relay for Life. What an amazing woman she is! She is such an inspiration to me. Not only did she take care of her son with great strength and courage but she also battled her own fight with cancer and won! She is a survivor and one of the many reasons to CELEBRATE on this night. Karly and I will be there next year, but since we couldn't make it this year we were supplied with tons of goodies from the Relay for Life. We will proudly wear our Gaines County Relay for Life shirts.

Have a great night!

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Round 2

We are back at the hospital, actually back in the same room we were in the last time. Karly already said that this time will be much better than the last. During the first round of chemo she was so sore from having the port placed it was difficult for her to move around.

Tomorrow is a big party day here on the Children's floor, so she will get to have a little fun tomorrow. We met another young man today, Josh, who had his last treatment for Ewing's December 22. He was here today for his 3 month check up. Karly and Josh got to visit and compare stories, and I enjoyed visiting with his mom.

My mom is doing well after her surgery. Lexie has been staying with Bub and Nona. Karly and I got to see/talk to Lexie, Nona, Shannon, Bubba and the dogs :) last night with the help of our webcams! It was great!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

crocheting again

Well school was not as great as we had hoped but it is out here May 22, so not much longer.

Grandma Dagley taught me how to crochet many years ago, I think I was 9 or so. I decided while I was doing all this sitting and waiting I might as well start crocheting again. So, I went to Hobby Lobby and bought the basics.

Karly goes back in the hospital Thursday for the next round of chemo. This is actually the second half of the first cycle. She has 3 drugs for 1 day, has a 2 week break, then has 2 drugs for 5 days, off 2 weeks and so on. She will have 6 cycles before surgery and each cycle takes about 5 weeks.

Mom is going in the hospital at midnight tonight to have her gallbladder removed, please keep her in your prayers.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Happy Mother's Day




Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. I am spending today here in Houston with Karly while Mom spends today with Lexie in Seminole.

Karly's blood counts were up, way up, on Friday so we were able to stop the injections. I was giving her Neupogen injections. Neuogen increases the white blood cells and as we all remember from science class :) white blood cells help the body fight off infections. She will not go back to the doctor until Thursday. She will be admitted that day and she will receive chemo for 5 days.

As I said before, she starts school in the morning, I was so worried about her going. I asked her, "Karly, will you be ok without me?" She just gave me a look and said, "Mom, I'll be at the hospital, where better could I be?" I couldn't argue with that.

I can never say THANK YOU enough for all the kind things people continue to do for us, not just me and Karly but the rest of my family & Kenneth's family.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/karly

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

week 4

Karly's white blood count is still low so we will continue the shots until her levels are where they need to be. She will have her levels checked again on Friday.

We met with the sarcoma surgeon today, we didn't know we were going to until we got there this morning. She was great, LOVED HER!!! She even told Karly to call her with any questions. She said, "it doesn't have to be mom that calls, you can call me anytime."

Karly will start school on Monday. She is really excited about meeting some new people. Kris, the education coordinator, said there are actually alot of kids in the high school class. We met one today, Keaton who is 15 and has Osteosarcoma which is in the same family as Ewings.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

a quick udate

Not much has been going on the past few days. Karly is getting bored and homesick.

Tomorrow she will have blood work done to check her levels. Hopefully, her white blood cells will be where they need to be and I will not have to give her anymore shots. But, if I have to I am getting pretty good at it. :) On Friday, we have an appointment with the spine specialist just for a consultation and then more blood work.

Thank you for all the prayers and support.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

this weekend

It is Sunday, I only know that because other people have told me that. haha We have a schedule but it is set to hours not days so I have lost track of days. :)

We enjoyed Bub and Nona being here. Karly felt up to going out to eat, she wanted fried pickles! Who would have thought, fried pickles?? Then we headed for some ice cream.

Karly got all kinds of goodies and cards in the mail yesterday. She loved opening every card and package. Thanks!

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/karly

Friday, May 1, 2009

sweet notes from home

Today Karly received several cards in the mail. She also received 2 banners that Mrs. Hicks had the kids at school sign. These banners are fabulous and we have them hanging in our bedroom.

Karly felt good today. She was not as tired today as she has been the past few days. She ate really well today and we even went out for ice cream. I am normally a bit paranoid about germs and this swine flu has me even more germ crazy, so we have been staying away from crowds and I am cleaning everything all the time. I asked Karly if she thought it would be too much for me to put hand sanitizer outside the apartment door. ;)

Bub and Nona made the long drive down here to bring me my car. It was so good to see family!

Thursday, April 30, 2009

reconnected....

We are finally reconnected to the outside world. The internet guy was supposed to be here between 8am and noon today. He got here at 7pm!!

Karly has been doing well the past 2 days. She is tired but has been getting some rest. She even survived me giving her shots! :)

Bub is bringing my car tomorrow. I am so ready to have my OWN car. We are hoping we get to see Lexie before long, we miss her so much!

I think Lisa, Leslie & Brylee will be down here next weekend. Nona is coming on the 15th and will be here for 10 days. The company will be great!

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

settling in

We are settling in to our apartment. THANK YOU everyone for helping us look for a place. Karly is doing very well. She is tried and trying to get some rest. We will have web access here tomorrow and I will update more then.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

one behind us...

Last night about 9:50 they began Karly's 1st round of chemo. Actually, the chemo does not start first.(I am getting a lesson in medicine) Two anti-nausea drugs were given first, then a drug which will help protect her heart from the chemotherapy, then 3 chemo drugs were given one at a time. The chemo was finished about 2:45am. She was then given a drug that protects and flushes her kidneys and was given that again at 11am. By the end she had 10-12 bags hanging on her IV pole.

She did very well, she is so strong. She had a little bit of nausea but nothing bad. We received all her medicine and instructions. Thanks to Dana we were already prepared for all they would send home with us. I also learned to give shots today, if you know me very well you know that is a BIG deal. :)

We do now have an address: 8181 Fannin, Apt. #513 Houston, Tx 77054
I am sure there is a way to put this on the front page of caringbridge, but I will leave that up to Tisha.

As Karly was being discharged today her nurse talked to her about faith and knowing that God is the Great Healer. She said, "God knows exactly where in your body the bad cells are, we are only going by the evidence we have, but God's eyes see. We(medical staff) are and use God's tools to remove the bad cells from you. Read God's word." "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Hebrews 4:12 She told us that the entire staff can see the difference in the healing of "those who walk in faith."

Monday, April 27, 2009

listening to a wonderful thurnderstorm.....

I wish I could send this wonderful rain home. We are on the 9th floor and have a wonderful view of the amazing rain falling.

Today has been a long day but prayers have been answered. All the tests from last week came back and the cancer is not anywhere else. Thank you God! I can't express the relief Kenneth and I felt after hearing that. And more great news....one of the church organizations had an apartment open up here and we will be able to move in tomorrow.

Karly had her port placed this morning, the procedure only took about an hour. She was in recovery for 6 hours! She is very sore and hungry. We just ordered her food, the menu is better than most restaurants.

She will begin her first round of chemo tonight. The way things were explained is she will do 1 day of chemo, be off 2 weeks and then do 5 days of chemo, be off 2 weeks and so on.

As soon as I get an address for the apartment I will post it.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

thank you...

I just want to take this chance to say thank you to all our wonderful friends and family. So many people have said and done so many wonderful things.

My sweet nephew Kory, his wife Crystal, and their 2 boys Christopher and Kade came to see Karly last Sunday; Aunt Kathy and Amy did as well. Karly's Aunt Terri had a wonderful get together at her house Monday night for Karly, Kenneth and his family. On Tuesday, Uncle Vaughn had a fabulous send off arranged at the Midland airport for Karly! Very cool! :)

Dana Quisenberry for taking time while she was down her to visit with us, she has advice no one else can give me. I am so thankful for all the people that have been helping out in Seminole. My nephew Brian has been helping Dad with all our animals and Bub & Nona have my baby, Harvest. So many people have been so great at keeping Miss Lexie entertained, she is having a difficult time being away from us, but she has been staying so busy she doesn't have much time to think about it.

Thank you & we love you all.

Friday, April 24, 2009

a Lab Rat

Last night Karly told me and her Aunt Terri that she felt like a lab rat. After today, she feels like a sore lab rat.

She had a bone scan, which required a nuclear injection. They brought the injection in a sealed capsule marked hazardous. After receiving the injection Karly said, "I wonder if I'll be like Spider Man now?" She did have a nice little nap during the bone scan. Following the bone scan she had a CT scan of her chest. The nurses in this area of the hospital are the worst we have encountered. The first one preached to me about her not supposed to eat anything for at least 3 hours before her scan when it had been almost 4 hours since she had eaten anything. I finally gave up and said, "OK, next time we will do better." Then the dumb hag trying to start her IV was an idiot and was on some kind of a fish expedition, and not only with Karly but 3 other patient while we were sitting there. The lady that started her IV last night for the MRI came and started her IV and the CT scan only took about 5 minutes.

It is raining like crazy here. I wish I could send it to you guys back home.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

thursday

This morning we met with Dr. Herzog and she told us that it was for sure Ewing's sarcoma, just as she thought. The results from the bone marrow biopsy should be back tomorrow but Dr. Herzog said the results won't change our plan of action. Chemo will begin on Monday. Karly had another MRI this evening. She will have a bone scan and a chest CT tomorrow.

We are looking forward to a restful weekend, before she starts chemo next week.
Thank you for all the kind words and support.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

back at MD Anderson

Karly and I made it back to Houston last night. We started early this morning. She had an echocardiogram first thing this morning that took forever. She says she is going to have bruises, I hope her Pa doesn't hear that. :) She then had her IV put in and she did NOT pass out today - WooHoo :) She even got an Eric Carle polar bear for her accomplishment. While we were waiting for her bone marrow aspiration we got to visit with Dana Quisenberry. For those of you who are not from Seminole and don't know, Dana's son, Daniel, also HAD Ewing's sarcoma. Dana has already been and will continue to be an amazing resource for me. Dana and Daniel were here for their check ups. They are a great testament to what can be accomplished through faith and a great medical team.

It is nap time here and the we are headed to see "Earth" from Walt Disney.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Back in Houston

Karly and I made it back to Houston. She will have several tests run tomorrow starting at 8am. Kenneth and Terri will be here tomorrow night.

Monday, April 20, 2009

It is amazing...

how much you can accomplish in one day when you HAVE to. Today has been a crazy day. Karly got to visit with some of the kids and teachers at school today and she really enjoyed it. We cleaned out her locker and picked up her horn from band. Neither one of us are thrilled that she will not finish out the year here but we both know we are doing what has to be done for her to get better. After her visit at school, she headed to the dentist and got her braces off! :) WOOHOO And then to supper with some friends.

These few days home have been busy but much needed. All the prayers and love from everyone is keeping Karly and I going. We have talked about it several times, and we both know that our strength comes from all of the prayers being said for us. Thank You!

We will head back to Houston tomorrow. We are heartbroken that we will be leaving sweet Lexie here, but until we get settle and in a routine that is what is best for her. We are still working on finding a place to stay, we have our name on several waiting lists and hopefully will find a place soon. Until then we will be back at the Hampton.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/karly

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Home

We made it home in spite of the bad weather in Houston. We were about 2hrs late but we are home. We were very happy to see Lexie, we missed her alot! It is so nice to be back in Seminole, even if it is just for a few days.

I just wanted to let you guys know we made it. We are now going to bed, maybe just for a nap or for all night! :)

Friday, April 17, 2009

Heading home....for a little bit

Wow...what a crazy day! We received some tough news today but we have been overwhelmed with the amount of support we have received. All the calls, emails, texts, visits, food and kind words have been wonderful. We have the best friends and family! Thank you all so much.

I want to thank a few people.

First, my good friend Tisha for getting the Caringbridge site up and going. She is also going to keep it updated for me. My sweet friend Stacy Gibson who has already talked to a friend here in Houston who will rent us a condo at a great rate. It is located very close to MD Anderson. Sunny & Shalea for going and getting Lexie so Mom & Dad could have a break. Lexie doesn't warm up to people very fast, but who better than the 2 best kindergarten teachers to take her to have fun! One of the best cooks in town, LeaAnn, for taking food to Mom & Dad. Vicki Clark for going and sitting with mom. And of course the 2 best secretaries in the world, Amanda & Donna, for holding down the fort, ALWAYS! You 2 ROCK! And sweet little Sam for being a GREAT friend to Karly.

I also want to thank all of you that are the support system for Kenneth and his family. I know there are more I need to thank so.....THANK YOU!

Karly is so ready to get home to some of Glenda's chicken & dumplings! Yummy!

Day 5 @ MDA

Without a doubt this is the worst day of my life. My "little" girl Karly did not receive the results we wanted. The mass is cancer and she will begin chemo a week from Monday. The doctor said possible Ewing's Sarcoma but will not be sure on the type until the rest of the results from the biopsy come back. We are crushed and very worried about Karly. Her dad and I had already come to an agreement that if it was cancer we were staying here at MD Anderson, so that is what we will do.

Karly and I will go home in the morning and then we will fly back Tuesday evening. Next week she will have more tests, bone marrow, CT Scan, bone scan, etc. On Monday, the 27th, she will have her port put in and begin chemo. We are going to look into finding a more permanent place to stay here in Houston.

karly friday

Karly went back at 10:45 for her biopsy. They said it would take an hour or so. She will be in recovery for 2 hours.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Day 4 in Houston

Karly had blood drawn, pelvic xrays, chest xrays, met with the doctor performing the biopsy and with anesthesia all before 1:00pm today. It was a busy morning but everything is set up for the biopsy tomorrow. We feel very comfortable with everything that is going to take place in the morning. All the doctors, physicians assistants and nurses are very caring and made sure Karly felt comfortable about the procedure.

We are to be at the hospital at 8am. It isn't anything like what we are use to at home. Her blood work and her IV are done in the pediatric clinic, and then we will go to the procedure area. I told Karly I want the nurses in the pedi clinic to draw my blood next time I have to have to done, they are AWESOME!! The biopsy is scheduled for 11am and we were told it would last 1-1 1/2hr, after that she will be in recovery for about 2 hours. She is also scheduled for another MRI tomorrow evening at 6pm.

We are so thankful for all the prayers for both Karly and Mom. Mom's angiogram today came out GREAT, no blockage! :)

My baby girl, Lexie, is having a very hard time with Karly and I being gone. Karly and I miss her ALOT but she is with Nanny & Pa, so we know she is just fine. My sweet nephew, Brian, is taking care of all our animals, and that is not an easy job!

I will update as soon as I can tomorrow.

www.childrensartproject.org