No Tears Clinic Visit

Yesterday (Monday) Cora visited the clinic. This visit was monumental because she did NOT cry! She didn't even sit on my lap when her port was "clicked." They access it with a tiny needle hooked to the tubing. She did make some yucky faces, but who wouldn't. She was such a big girl. The PA even made the comment, "Wow, she's really come a long way!" She has! Her counts were still good. Her ANC was 2351, down from 6000 last week, but still OK. She got the same two chemo drugs she's gotten the past few weeks, and we went home! She is back on the steroids this week so she is feeling pretty yucky. We don't go back for two weeks, but when we do it will be a doozy! She will have to have a lumbar puncture (chemo in the spine), a new drug called Cyclophosphamide, and begin a new oral medication, and a new (at home) subQ injection. That will be fun! I'm pretty nervous anytime she gets new meds. When you read the list of possible side effects it is scary! Here are some of the rare, but possible side effects of Cyclophosphamide:
- heart muscle damage
- damage and scarring of lung tissue
- A new cancer or leukemia resulting from this treatment
- damage or scarring of urinary bladder tissue
- severe allergic reaction that can be life threatening
- infertility

Nice, huh? I think anyone would be scared about giving that to their child. I just wanna skip that day, but she has to have it! Dr. J also told me that after the meds coming up soon we can probably kiss the hair goodbye. Which makes me crazy since we are so close to maintenance phase. This nasty treatment just makes me want to do everything in my power to help improve cancer research so these little ones don't have to go through all of this. On the other hand, I am SOOOOOOO thankful for these nasty drugs that kill an even nastier disease! It's a very weird thing. Pray for our visit in 2 weeks!