Merry Christmas from Home!!!

First, I want to thank you for all of the prayers that we may be home for Christmas. We went for a pre-Christmas check yesterday just to insure that we could stay home for the rest of the week. Doing WELL! Because Chloe is doing so well and we are at the halfway point, we are going to be able to stay home until the beginning of round 4 after the first of the year as long as no problems arise before then.

God is good!

Second, I want to thank you for helping us have the best Christmas Ever!!! We delivered the gift bags to the families on the 21st and it was such a joy to experience the real meaning of Christmas. They were so grateful. Even though I live on that floor 90% of the time, I had not met so many of the families due to being isolated with the kids being so sick. I talked with parents who have it much more difficult than we do. One parent let me know that her child may not make it until Christmas. Pray for these families and give thanks for your healthy ones.

God is good!

Third, I want to thank Lake Oconee for making this Christmas easier on these families by the visit from Santa and the Elves with gifts for all of the Children and families. They brought a lot of smiles to faces that really needed it. It was truly a day to behold!

God is good!

And last, Ray and I are 43 years old and both agreed that we had Christmas for the first time this year!

Merry Christmas from Ray, Stacie, Bailey and Chloe.

Enjoyed Relaxing at Home!

Enjoyed relaxing at home last week but back to the grind stone. Started round 3 yesterday and all is well so far. If things continue to go well we will go home this weekend and get to try being home for Christmas. Lots of prayers please!!!! We will come back on the 21st for a count check and to deliver the gift bags to the families on the floor here. A BIG THANKS to you all for helping make the bag project a success!!! We did reach our 20 bag goal! I know the families will be very grateful. The bag project grew into something much bigger for our families here. My long time friend Kim and her Lake Oconee community have gotten together to help provide Christmas for all of the families here on our floor. Not only will OUR gift bags be full of goodies from my family, sister Tammy and Niece Malorie, they will also contain much needed gift cards to Publix, Target and local restaurants from Lake Oconee. The children here will also receive toys and a visit from the elves. Thank you Lake Oconee!!! Looking forward to lots of joy on the 21st. We will post pictures.

Christmas is about helping others.

Thank you for having such big hearts!!! Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas Time At Scottish Rite

WOW!!! This place is really decorated for christmas. Love riding around looking at all of the decorations when allowed to be out of the room. Have had a fever for last couple of days but if can keep it at bay hope to go home soon for our break between rounds 2 and 3. All in all blessed to still be doing well.

Christmas is so commercialized that our way of keeping things in perspective is to give back to a family in need at this time of year. Our plan this year is to give to the families here on the cancer floor of Scottish Rite. If you would like to be a part of this then please let me know by email, facebook or commenting on the blog. You can help support a family with this gift for around $20. We use an insulated market tote to bring food back and forth to the hospital on a regular basis (see picture above). This has been helpful in keeping things cool or warm while traveling. I can purchase these wholesale due to a small bag business I started late summer before Chloe's diagnosis. We plan to put hot chocolate packs inside. We have about 20 families here on the floor most all of the time. This would be a great help to them as it already is for us. We are blessed to have volunteers and past patients contribute regularly to needs on this floor. These families are in need of many things and this can help make their stay here a little easier.

Thanks from Chloe and all of her family for your continued support, love and prayers.

What A Big Sister!!!

Still at SR for a while longer. Leukemia does not know holidays evidently. Enjoying time together and continued good days is what we are Thankful for. Still doing well with the exception of a few sleepless nights last week. One night central line had to be repaired and the next night sick and fever kept us up. All is better and looking forward to seeing big sister this weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving to All! Enjoy the turkey but remember Thanksgiving is not a meal.

Back In Action

Back at Scottish Rite for about 3 weeks for the rest of round 2 of chemo. This is the strongest of the 6 rounds. Doing well so far. We had a big day yesterday. We were in a photo shoot here at the hospital for the front cover of the next issue of the hospital magazine. The nurses could not resist choosing her due to her contagious smile. We enjoyed some time outside yesterday afternoon at the KOI pond here at Scottish Rite. Nice to get some fresh air. Counts should be on the way down soon then back up for a break at home. Thanks for all of the prayers.

breezing thru!

Entered SR for 2nd round of chemo yesterday. All going well, breezing thru so far. We will be in hospital until tomorrow and then home again for a short break if still doing well. We will be back in for the long haul as of Thursday(about 3 to 4 weeks). This is the strongest and most intense of the 6 rounds so continue with all of the prayers.

Thanks again for all of your support!!!

Sitting on a cloud!!!

Modeling hats the wonderful lady volunteers made for us.

YEAH! Getting to go home today for about a week before next round of chemo. Pray for good days so that we remain at home the entire week for a much needed break. Doing very well. Counts all up and no fever. Drinking pretty well again. Looking forward to spending time with the family at home. Thanks for the continued prayers and support! That is what is getting us thru.

CHALLENGE- we challenge you today to find someone in need and do something for them. We feel so blessed by those doing the same for us. Tragedy helps you realize the importance of being there for others. Isn't that our number one calling. My lesson in this as well.

LOVE TO YOU ALL!

Hanging in there

Missing the family being all together but hanging in there. Counts still really low with fever on and off. It is expected at this stage. Bone marrow showed no blast(leukemia) cells as of Monday. We still have to complete the 6 months of treatment due to relapse problems if not completed. She is not feeling like her self, more tired. Not eating and drinking but getting IV food for now. Hope counts come up soon so can try another break at home before beginning next round of treatment. All in all doing as well as expected. Thanks for the continued prayers and support. Love to you all!

Back Already!!!

Great break at home while it lasted! Running fever Sunday afternoon so had to return to SR. Counts are really low so doctors believe this is the true drop in counts not before. Here to wait it out until counts go back up for another try at a break at home. The schedule should be this week here then home next week before beginning next round of Chemo in two weeks. Still not eating so GI docs to return today for follow-up as to what to do from here with feeding. Otherwise, spirits still good. Keep us in your prayers!

Punkin in the patch!

YEAH!!! home for an unexpected earlier break. Enjoying time with the family. Going back Monday for a repeat bone marrow test then home again for the remainder of a two week break as long as things continue to go well. Was doing so well that the one week break turned into two. Thanks to you all for the continued prayers! It is working, keep it up!!!

Cool Do....Cool Ball

Broke out yesterday! Was able to leave room for the first time. We walked to the gift shop and bought this very cool light up ball. Having so much fun with it!!! Have won the hearts of all here. On our walk to the gift shop, Chloe in stroller would stick out her arm waving as people walked by and say Ha Ha Ha Ha. As you would expect, her outgoing personality and super cuteness had everyone stopping to speak. And the nurses fight over her daily. She is loving all of the attention and doing even better than expected. Her counts are already on the way back up with NO problems. May get to go home sooner than expected for our break. YAY!!! God is so good!

Playing in the hospital takes creativity!

Doing great and figuring out how to play in the hospital. Counts going down but not letting it get us down yet!

Great Cause.....Great Friends!!!

Thanks to all of our friends and family who participated in the Light The Night Leukemia walk last night. Our team raised over $2,000. Yeah team!!!

Chloe is doing well with the treatment so far. She finished her first round of chemo and is in the wait and watch mode in the hospital for the next few weeks. Hope no fever or infections arise. Her counts will continue dropping over the next few days and then back up again. As long as no major problems can go home for a short break in a few weeks. Continue praying for good days.

Love to you all! Oldie pic but goodie!

Chloe was a little sick yesterday but for the most part felt good. She slept a lot yesterday. Her hemoglobin is down and therefore she is having a blood transfusion now but all in all doing well so far. All of her counts are coming way down now as expected so she is being closely monitored for the next few weeks for infection. Please make sure if you plan to visit us that you are not at all sick. This is a critical time for her well being. Thanks to you all for all of your love, support and prayers. Continue praying for good days. Love you all.

Good First Day!

We had a good first day. Felt good most of today. Had fun playing ball with sister and cousin Alli. Lots of smiles and laughter today. Not eating but drinking well. Hope for another good day tomorrow. Love to you all.

Sending sunshine your way!

We had a platelet infusion this morning. For the first time in a long time platelets are at a normal range to prepare for surgery. Surgery to put central line in scheduled for 2:50 with spinal tap and chemo to follow. My spirits are good and ready to get this thing over with.

The journey begins

We will be entering the hospital, Scottish Rite, on Monday to have surgery to place central line in Chloe's chest to begin Chemo. Our hospital stay will be on and off for the next 6 months. We will be journaling our experience using this blog. Updates and pictures will be added often. Please check back.