Happy Thanksgiving. We have a lot to be thankful for, starting with all of you - our support system - helping to give us strength even in the darkest of days.

It’s just over three weeks past surgery abs Sarah’s recovery has been steady, but slow. She’s hit a few roadblocks along the way. One being some paralysis in her hand and carpal tunnel/nerve damage in her wrist/arm/hand. The doctors say it’s most likely from the way she was splayed on the surgical bed. Regardless, it’s extremely annoying and painful and working through that pain has been a struggle. The other difficulty has been the atrophy of her muscles. Her left leg is weak and she needs that leg to be strong to help support her. This is especially important because she is non weight bearing on her surgical leg. Furthermore, her core has lost all muscle tone. Basically, after being bed bound for so long, she cannot sit upright without support/assistance, she cannot stand, and is overall so weak that it can feel very defeating. She’s working through it but it’s a hard and arduous task. And, since the cancer center is not designed for orthopedic rehab, coupled with staffing shortages in PT and OT, the decision was made to love her to acute rehab so Sarah can gain back some independence. She moved last night.

After five weeks in the cancer center, with one of us always by her side both day and night, Bob and I went home together. I cried. A lot. I didn’t want to leave her. But the regular hospital is not the cancer center. We are grateful she can have this opportunity at there are only 20 beds on this unit. Additionally, she finished chemo yesterday so she is in a private room due to her tanked white blood count. It scares me that she’s vulnerable and susceptible to any little germ and this could put her at risk. It’s dangerous. But the trade off is a chance to get physically stronger. She needs to. Her surgical leg is healing nicely so that’s a relief.

As I write this, I’m sitting beside a very nauseous and sick kid who is in a strange place with new nurses and trying to keep it all together. It’s very hard to watch and it’s harder knowing we can’t make it better. She feels beaten down, I feel bedraggled, we both feel helpless but not hopeless. We have to push through. We have to hope for a better better tomorrow (or a better hour or minute). This round of chemo is kicking her butt but we know she has it in her to persevere. We have no choice. She has no choice. She starts rehab and it will be a grueling 3 hour a day workout with PT and OT with other scheduled responsibilities in between. It will feel unattainable for Sarah at times. We’re told it will be hard. Like REALLY hard. Please pray the nausea soon passes so she can feel better and get to work.

A few positive notes: the entire Wilmot team surprised Sarah in her birthday with gifts, balloons, cheesecake, singing. It was awesome. We got to bring the dog in a few times. This brightened her spirits. The outpouring of cards and messages really made her feel special. Thank you all so much. I feel overwhelmed with gratitude. Friends of friends, my childhood friends (even their parents!), family, neighbors - so many cards  and notes and gifts. Thank you!!  Pet therapy digs have visited a few times. She likes that. She connected a few people her age who are dealing with cancer currently or have finished treatments. This has been good for her to vent and share. We’ve been blessed with incredible nurses, doctors l, and patient care techs. We wouldn’t be where we are now without them. They truly are amazing. YOU are all amazing. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.