Update from Kristin: June 26th, 2008

We are once again coming to the end of a great third week. Taylor has been cheerful, active, and feeling great. That will all come to a halt tomorrow when we return for more chemo. It is so hard to take her back there again. Keith and I were saying to each other that the longer that we are away from the hospital, the harder it is to return. It is hard not to be greedy with the good times. I look back to March and remember praying for a single pain free day with no throwing up and just wanting to hear Taylor giggle and see her smile. We have had almost ten days of that now. Each third week of the chemo cycle seems better than that last!

We started physical therapy last week. Taylor really enjoys it because she plays games most of the time and gets to play with balls and walk on balance beams. We have also been swimming a few times. We bought her a ring so that her face and the tape for her ng tube can stay dry. She loves to just kick around the pool and play. Then her PaPa introduced her to the nice warm jacuzzi where she can touch the bottom with no problem and there are bubbles! I am not sure she will ever go back to the pool! Taylor has also been much more active at home. She walked halfway up the hill three times in a row last night.She would have gone the whole way if I would have been willing to go with her but I am not crazy. The hill that we live on is very steep and menacing. There were days when she could not even walk out to the mailbox with me.

Taylor has also been spending a couple hours a week with her teacher. Her teacher, Mrs. Agundez, is one of the most amazing women and she loves her! This week they were working on math and reading. Taylor really looks forward to her visits and we are so blessed to have her. One thing that I have learned over the past few months is that I would have made a horrible teacher. I tend to lose my patience and just do everything for her. I guess we all have our callings and mine is not teaching!

We will try to give another update this weekend and let everyone know how Taylor is doing. There is a small possibility that Taylor might not be ready for chemo on Friday if her platelets are still too low. Hopefully her body will cooperate and we will be one step closer to the end of chemo. They have decided to hold the Vincristine again so hopefully the dactinomycin and cytoxan are doing their jobs!