Isolation

     Our little Hazelnut tested positive for a virus....she got a cold!  Fortunately it has been very mild and she hasn't been bothered by it in the least, but it means that we have been stuck in the room in isolation since Wednesday, and have to stay this way for the rest of our time here.  For Hazel, this has been a very huge challenge because we are hardly ever in the room.  She keeps asking to take walks, go to the playroom, and see her friend Demie and does not understand when I explain to her why we can't.  Despite these moments of frustration, she has astonished me, once again, by just taking this all in stride.  She has managed to adjust to yet another reality and finds the joy and fun in each day.
     Today has not been a challenge to stay in the room, because the nausea has settled in.  Round #5, which has the same Chemo drugs as Round #3, is known to be one of the toughest rounds for nausea and vomiting, and she did extremely well last time, with only a few days of symptoms.  But she was stronger then.  Now her body has gone through so much more and I think it's beginning to take it's toll.  She hasn't eaten anything yet today, and she is already of two different anti-nausea meds.  We are adding another, to see if it will help her get her appetite back.  She is not vomiting, so I am VERY thankful for that!  She hates it, I hate it, and really, I think everyone hates it!  So please pray for her to not have to go through that.  And also, pray for all the kids who have a much harder time in treatment than Hazel.  I cannot imagine how tough it must be for those children and their families who seem to get every side-effect in the book.

     We also received the results from her kidney test she had done on Tuesday.  This test was done to see how Hazel's kidney's are functioning, because several of the drugs can adversely affect the kidneys.  Some kids can even lose one.  But her results were fantastic!  Her kidneys are function well above the normal range and show now signs of a downward trend!  I can only hope and pray that this continues to remain the case.  I also spoke with Dr. Tran, and barring any complications from this round of Chemo, we have officially set our date for the pre-op CT scan and the surgery! The CT scan will be August 6th, and it will tell us how Hazel's tumor has responded to all that we have been putting her through.  If the scan is favorable (which he is very optimistic that it is), then we will meet with her surgeon on August 12th to discuss everything, and her surgery will be on August 15th!!!  I have such mixed feelings about this step.  On one hand, I am so excited to get this horrible tumor out of my daughter's body.  But on the other hand, I realize that Hazel's tiny little body will be undergoing major surgery, and it's no easy task.  So as it gets closer, keep her and our entire family in your prayers.  He also said that if her surgery is successful and her post-op scans show no evidence of disease that we can skip Round #6 of Chemo!! His hope is to have her body completely cancer free before her Stem Cell Transplant (can you believe it!).  The transplant, if Round #6 is NOT cancelled, will be sometime in September; but if it IS cancelled, then it will begin the last week of August.  The fact that these next steps in her treatment are right around the corner, is all a little overwhelming, and honestly, putting a lot of fear within me.  But I was absolutely terrified about Chemotherapy, and God has carried Hazel and our whole family through it and I know He will continue to do the same!