Rea is Beating Cancer!!

I am so sorry for not visiting nor blogging for a few months now. After coming back from a cruise, I went back to my daughter's house, to catch a flight to go back home to Natchez the next day. But a family crisis stopped me from going home. One of my twin granddaughters, Rea, was diagnosed with childhood cancer. She just turned 2 last January. I canceled my trip, to help take care of the other girls especially when Rea is in the hospital and to give moral support, and I have been in FL ever since.

Rea has always been healthy so she was asymptomatic and none of us ever suspected it. She started limping on her left foot that is why Rochelle took her to the pediatrician to be checked. They both thought it was nothing but the doctor ordered an X-ray anyway, just to be sure. And then the nightmare began, she was found to have a pathologic fracture in her knee. She was immediately referred to a children's hospital and then a series of diagnostic tests followed: MRI, CT scans, biopsies of the knee and main source and they biopsied the bone marrow as well, which fortunately was negative. The tests showed no tumor anywhere else. We were thankful that it went in the knee or we would not have had any sign to get it checked otherwise.

It was very hard for me to take at first. I could not eat nor sleep and I had this constant tight knot in my stomach, but this amazing girl showed me how to be strong by showing her strength and bravery. Now, we are in a fighting mode at full charge and we are going to beat this. Rea's treatment is very aggressive and she is under the care of a very knowledgeable group of physicians and nurses. She is undergoing chemo now and she has handled the treatments and controlled the side effects very well. In fact, she has defied all norms and beat all odds. This week, the nurses and oncologists have prepared us to expect her not to eat until maybe 48 hrs after she gets home after chemo and not to force her to if she refuses, and that she would probably throw up a lot because the chemo given to her this week is very harsh unlike the first 2 cycles. Oh well, she has continued to eat very well and has not vomited at all. In fact, she has gained 0.6 kilos since she was admitted and I am so happy for that. She is so brave, extends her arm for blood pressure and whatever tests she anticipates, including blood drawing, and just watches without moving or crying that sometimes, I forget she is only 2.

Please help us pray for her for a complete recovery and for her to continue tolerating the treatments and procedures as she has been, if not better.

Thank you so much for all the prayers.

Thanks again! I have missed you all so much. I plan to be home in July so I can blog more then, and then back here again in August.