We made it through our first week of chemotherapy!  It wasn't easy, but Lily has been so brave and strong. Her spirits have stayed good throughout and she just seems able to accept things as they come.  She knows she is very ill and that she needs to fight hard.

We spent a large part of each day this week in the outpatient clinic. On Monday Lily got another MRI, this time of her foot, and we were able to see a picture of the tumor. It is located in the middle of her foot between her bones and is surprisingly small for all the damage it has caused. 

The week started really tough with Lily still sore from her IV port placement surgey, which took place in the hospital last Thursday, and bone pain in her back that makes it difficult for her to move around. Add to that the side effects from the chemotherapy and you have a very bad situation.  With the chemo, she has been experiencing nerve pain in her neck and jaw and numbness in her hands and feet, as well as severe abdominal cramping.  We spent the whole day at the clinic Thursday because Lily was in so much pain. An x-ray of her tummy showed that it was full of gas (if anyone knows any natural remedies for gas relief they would be welcome).

It is terrible to have to see her suffer through this and to know that the chemo is damaging more than just cancer cells, but it is really our only option at this point.  Everything has happened so fast, I feel unprepared and uneducated about everything that is going on.  It is more than a little ironic that I used to hesitate to give my children even simple over-the-counter medications, and now this. The only good thing is that she is otherwise healthy, with a strong immune system.

We are looking forward to being home this weekend and to having only one day of chemotherapy next week (Monday). Hopefully her appetite will improve so we can build up her strength for the next cycle of intensive chemotherapy.