The Fab Five

So this is actually Bert posting this-Bonnie gave me some creative reign on the blog because I've got some photos, and a bit more time on my hands. This is a photo from the Progress Performance at the end of last year. We did a circus piece. Michaela Ellingson is the lion. Brooke Fallon is in front. Sofie is Sofie. Madison Williams is in the very back, and I've got the crazy red lips behind Michaela. This is a picture of the Fab Five, as we jokingly call ourselves, or the Dancer Cult. We miss Sofie so much and she's only been gone a few days, but we are behind her 100%!!

Teen-age Friends

I saw something very peculiar this morning coming up to Sofies room. It was actually a most beautiful sight.... teenagers sleeping over night on couchs (good ones) in lounch area. They brought their own blankets and pillows and were crashed all night. Visitors of teenage patients no doubt. I thought to myself, wow, Damon could have that couch, Michaela could have that one, Maddie, Bert, McKensie etc. etc..... just a thought!! Bonnie

PS I asked the nurses about it and they said its was absolutely legal and encouraged!!

Affects of chemo on Sofie

Please move past this post if you dont want some details of how the chemo is affecting Sof. One thing Ive learned recently.... not everyone does the hospital scene.... some have great difficulty being in this setting.... and definately some people wont want to hear about Sof's chemo!! But hear goes. Sof started chemo medicine (I have the hardest time calling it medicine because medicine is spose to make you feel better.... In the very long run, it will, right?) yesterday at 11:45 am. They gave her 2 anti nausea medicines beforehand. They said by 3 she may be feeling sick. At 7 pm was was sick and made the comment, " cant they just put me out for the next 9 months while I go thru this?!" Thats when it hit her, I think, at least the first big bump in the road. They gave her an additional and different medicine to help. It made her very happy and loopy as well. But it was an improvement on what she had been feeling before. Shortly thereafter she sunk into a deep sleep. We had lots of visitors last night which was great for me but Sof slept through it. They dont have visitor hours but I decided last night that 7 pm will be our cut off.... we're not much good after that!

Anyway, they are now giving her a different anti nausea med every 2 hours... they all have different side effects so they cant keep giving her the same one over and over. She didnt sleep well due to nausea despite the meds and like I said yesterday, they pull her out of bed every 2 hours 24\7 and make her pee. The chemo med itself is bright red and because her white and red blood cells as well as her platelettes are depleting, her face is a pale yellow color so dont be alarmed when you see her... she is still beautiful, just weak. The nurse said that today would be harder than yesterday. So its true that cancer is not for sissys and that includes the people who have to watch and administer to her. Brookie and I have been here in the hospital every hour and when its time for bed, Brookie crawls right in with her. What an experience for a best friend. Im going to try to get Brooke out today to go get some stuff for Sof. Thanks to all loved ones who have stepped on this crazy train with us.... for the thoughts, prayers, cards, meals, gifts and untold love..... Bonnie

Chemo medicine

I know this is a lot of blogging without photos but just need to get the info out there. Then I'll attempt to download some pix!!

Chemo is not really medicine per say but more like poisonous chemicals that will go in and kill the cancer cells. One of the bad parts is that it will also kill most of her white blood cells. The white blood cells are the cells in your blood that fight infection. The chemo will severely hinder her bodies ability to fight off even the smallest of infections ie... the common cold. It will be really important that any visitors that Sofie gets needs to be "sick free"!! Thats my textbook message for today! Luv ya Bonnie

second day in hospital... first chemo day!

... she got her central line last night... a bit of a painful post op for her but she felt much better by about 10 last night. Brookie spent the night with her in her hospital bed. Both in their footy pjs. She is definately the biggest "kid" in this hospital!! Its taken a while to get her chemo going this morn. They have to fill her with a certain number of fluids so that the chemo flushes thru fast... otherwise it hangs out in the bladder and eats away the lining. She said that was "creepy". Officialy started chemo a few mins ago and she is falling asleep with brookie again in her bed!! This stream of chemo last 48 hours. She will be released Sunday afternoon and we are hoping to fly back to Jax on Monday eve, 8 pm flight. She will return to hospital for 3 weeks on Oct 22nd. While we are hospital free we are flying with her to NYC to get her fitted for her hair. She will come home with her "new hair" around the 12th. Hoping the chemo doesnt wipe her out too much for the trip!!

Best way to reach Sof and I

Primary's is kind-of like a cave.... pretty unstable cell phone reception. Best way to reach us is txt, email, or facebook. Cell phone reception depends on where we happen to be in the building. Sofies in surgery right now, then she'll be admitted. This hospital is super crowded! They dont have room for her on the regular chemo wing so they are still trying to find her a room ! They couldnt find her vein when they were putting in her IV so I took some pretty funny pictures of her facials expressions while they were digging around in her hand..... many of you will be able to relate to this !

First Big Day in SLC

After another mri, a bone scan, an echocardiogram, and a meeting with Dr. Jones (her surgeon) and Dr. Wright (her chemo oncologist), we finally have a chemo schedule for Sofie. Today she got a hearing test and is having minor surgery to insert her central line into her body. This is the place where all of her meds will be injected for the next 8 months. That way they dont need to keep poking her. At 4 pm they will administer her 1st chemo treatment. If you are in SLC, she can have visiters Friday but will probably be released sometime on Saturday. We will stay at my folks for conference and fly back to Jackson Monday night. Her next chemo lasts for 18 days starting Oct. 22nd. Surgery falls on Christmas eve according to the calendar.... but Im sure they'll let us wait til the 26th!!

Her chemo schedule only gives her only 4 weeks at home in Jackson til christmas..... more time in hospital than we thought. After her surgery, if they find that her body responded well to the chemo, she will have chemo for another 20 weeks (5 months). After that we hope to hear that she is cancer free for good!! Bonnie