And away we chemo…

So the first round of chemo is complete. Havyn did great. We should be leaving the hospital momentarily.

A special thanks to Mamaw (Tammy’s mom) for helping with Arlington — who turns 1 tomorrow! Thanks, too, to Lauren for letting Henry and Amelia hang with you all day. You both are heroes to us.

Thanks to Catie and Mary Beth. You’ve walked this journey (and worse). Your wisdom and words of encouragement have been so beneficial.

And thanks to each of you for your continues prayers and warm wishes. It means a lot. James 5:16 says:

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

So keep it up!

Now we head home and try to figure out the new normal. The short version of what we get to do now:

1. Rubber gloves for mom/dad when Havyn goes potty. The body will be processing the toxins into her urine and stool. (Insert Beavis & Butthead teenage laugh here…) We also have to remember to flush twice. No need to come in contact with the chemo drugs unless you need them!
2. Super germaphobe time! Her immune system will likely become compromised due to the chemo so we will try to keep everything as clean as possible to avoid sickness.
3. Taco Chemo Tuesdays! Looks like our Tuesdays for the foreseeable future will be spent with our great friends at UofL Pediatric Hematology/Oncology.
4. Watch for fevers. Even a low fever will most likely mean heading downtown to the hospital for a round of antibiotics. If her white blood cell count is low, her body will have a tough time fighting off invaders. Responding in the first hour is a pretty big deal.

So there you have it. Thanks again for your concern and for loving our sweet baby girl! And Happy Birthday Arlie!