Good morning to everyone. I finally got the chance to sit and write in Justine's journal. I just found out about this web page for Justine and now I have to set it all up. I wish I knew about it when she was first diagnosed. It would have been much easier to keep everyone up to date, and also gave Justine something to read all the times she was in the hospital. But we now can catch up and start keeping you all informed of her progress.
Justine has been doing pretty good lately. Before she went to camp a couple of weeks ago, we had a scare with her liver. And then her platelets, and hemoglobin counts were down. Almost to the point they were talking more transfusions, and ultrasounds to find out what was wrong. But after keeping her off of chemo for a week, and checking stool samples for a week, her liver count and blood counts came back up enough for her to go to Camp Boggy Creek. She went for a WHOLE week! It was very hard for me to handle, but I wanted her to go and experience something she might not other wise be able to. She was there with other cancer kids, and a few from her clinic here in Ft. Myers. The week I guess, started off pretty rough for the campers and staff. Someone had brought in the Rotovirus and spread it through out the camp. Needless to say, alot of kids and adults(staff) got very sick and some went to the hospital. But Justine seemed to weather through it pretty well. She felt a little sick there, but nothing like what others went through. By the middle of the week, things got better, and they were able to continue their fun. They also had a banquet, and she got to wear her beautiful pink gown we bought her for another banquet over the summer, which we weren't able to attend. I wished I could have seen her and how beautiful she looked. I'm sure she caught a few eyes! By the end of the week(Friday) we were so ready to pick her up. We got there Friday morning, and after talking to her doctor, we went to get her and her things. She was sitting on the porch on a rocking chair, and when she saw me, she got a HUGE smile. We started walking towards each other, and then she started running to me. She hugged me so hard, and I could feel the tears coming. I missed her so much! She cried and cried and wouldn't let go. I barely recognized her. She had grown so tall and skinny and grew up within a weeks time. My little girl was no longer little. She finally let go, and then ran into Steven's arms and he picked her up and wouldn't let go. She has truly touched his heart! And I KNOW, he was trying to hold back the tears! After we picked her up, we dropped her off with her Dad(it was his weekend). So we came home without her.
The kids returned home Monday. Justine didn't have an appointment until the following Monday. We went in and they flushed her port, did her blood counts, and gave her a breathing treatment. She was complaining that her tummy was hurting everyday since she has been home. But the doctor thought maybe it was just a little bit of the rotovirus lingering. Everything was fine, with her blood count, and her ANC(immune count)was fine. Well, her little brother, Hunter, ended up with the rotovirus, and was getting very sick from it. We ended up just giving him a bucket to carry with him everywhere. Justine ended up getting sick from it as well, just not as bad. So it has been very interesting around here!
Finally, everyone is doing better now...hopefully! Justine had a doctor's appointment a week and a half ago, and is doing ok. Her liver count is still fine, but her platelets are back down. Her ANC, however, is 1800. Anything over 500, is ok. And anything over 1000, is good. We like it to be 1500 or more. If it is under 1500, she doesn't receive her chemo. Which isn't good. They did up her chemo twice within the last three months. She has been growing so much, that they have to keep up with it. We think that is why her liver count was so low. The methotrexate that she gets on Monday nights, is very strong, and can affect the liver in different ways.
She goes to the doctor's this coming Monday. So we will see how she is doing now. Hopefully her platelets are back up. She has been feeling sick all week and sleeping with a bucket. But we haven't had to use it. Luckily!
Well, I will end it here for now. I will update again Monday! I hope you all have a great weekend! And thank you all for all you have done. Your prayers have meant so much to us.
Love,
Michele
