Chemo III

We're happy to report that Eila is still doing fine overall, with clothes on you'd never know anything was different. Today's chemo treatment was as straightforward as the previous ones, but it was faster because they used Eila's port for the first time.

From Sept/Oct 2011

The port kind of creeps me out - it sticks out about a half inch from her chest and it delivers the drugs so much closer to her heart. However, it made her blood draw and chemo much easier than a traditional IV.

From Sept/Oct 2011

I realize Eila doesn't look happy about using the port, but it really was better. For her, the downfall is that the nurse has to be right in her face for a minute, but it was so simple and quick getting the needle in.

From Sept/Oct 2011

Next week's appointment is the first time she'll get both drugs, so hopefully that will also go well.

Annikka's FOUR

From Sept/Oct 2011

With each year that passes, we're amazed and excited by the person Annikka is becoming. And four is bound to be an exciting year, filled with dress up and imagination (she is very interested in princesses), stories and reading (she enjoys her reading lessons on the computer), laughter and smiles (she has such a good sense of humor). Happy birthday, sweetie!

From Sept/Oct 2011

Second Chemo

We're back from Portland where Eila received her second round of chemotherapy today. Eila is now playing comfortably here at home.

This was last time we used an IV (next week it's the portacath). That's good, because Eila is fighting the IV nurses harder and harder each week. (Good thing she's tiny.) Like last week, administration of the drug (Vincristine only this week) went well and was straightforward.

We also got the final piece of the pathology puzzle today. Apparently a small percent of Wilms Tumors are caused by a genetic defect that the doctors describe as a "loss of heterozygosity" (LOH). As I understand it, in patients with LOH the cancer cells are somewhat harder to kill, and the chances of relapse are higher. A positive LOH test also means a more aggressive chemotherapy treatment. Anyway, Eila's tests for LOH are back, and she does not have LOH. Like the rest of Eila's pathology results, this is good news.

Eila's second surgery

On Monday, Eila had another surgery at DCH to insert a portacath (port) under the skin of her chest. The port allows for her weekly blood draws and chemotherapy to be done without needing an IV, which would quickly get to be too much for her little arms.

Her surgery was early Monday morning, so we all went up Sunday night and stayed at my cousin Meredith and Pete's house (who live <10 min from DCH). Then Annikka stayed and played with second-cousins Thurston and Marie while Joel and I took Eila in. The surgery was quick and went well. Here's a photo of the little fairy bandage the surgeons put over her port.

From Sept/Oct 2011

Our ride home Monday afternoon was a little stressful because Eila got sick in the car (this was most stressful on Annikka sitting with her in the back seat) and she was clearly uncomfortable. But by the evening dose of her pain meds she was doing better, and today was a good day.

Now back up to Portland again on Thursday for chemo.

Sunday morning dancing

Activities

Boy do four year-olds have lots of energy; Annikka has started a
ballet class,



and tried out soccer for the first time.

First chemo

For all the time Joel and I spent thinking and worrying about Eila's first chemotherapy treatment, it actually was very straight forward (long, but straightforward). We had the usual vital sign checks (weight, length, blood pressure, temp), followed by an IV and a blood draw. The IV was probably the worst part of the day (and even the IV wasn't that bad). Since her previous hospital stay, she's getting pretty hip to the system. She knows when she's about to be pricked. Once the IV technician came in the room today, it took her, the nurse, and both Joel and I to hold Eila still and get it in.

Once that was in we meet with doctors, both hematology/oncology and surgery. Because she was getting Actinomycin-D today, they administered an anti-nausea medicine. Then came the chemo, and that turned out to the be the shortest part of the day - it couldn't have taken more than five minutes (it only lasted one book).



From Sept/Oct 2011

From Sept/Oct 2011

When the IV came out, and she was very happy to get to leave.

From Sept/Oct 2011

So far the anti-nausea medicine is working well for her. She's happily playing here at home as I type this. Even though today went well, we probably won't know how Eila is handling the chemo for a few days since most of the side effects show up after the medicine has worked its way through her system. And even then Eila's reaction to the medicines may vary day to day, and week to week.

We'll be back up to DCH on Monday when Eila will undergo a small surgery to install the portacath so she won't have to get an IV every week for the chemo and blood draw.