Ellie is showing signs of progress out of this very long cold/flu bug spell. I can't say it is done and over with as she still has some queasy stomach moments as well as fits of unhappy fatigue, but she was much happier in spurts today with giggles and funny phrases returning to her spoken thoughts. If you were to see her, there are no visible symptoms of anything, just this lingering odd behavior pattern that appears for which we have no explanation. Those periods are lessening so as we say on many occasions with things to overcome - it is baby steps forward, so long as we are in fact moving forward. We are going to try a return to school tomorrow and see how she does. The weekend was complicated just a bit more being in the middle of a scheduled steroid 5 day pulse, but I am actually hoping her usual hunger button (steroid induced) is pushed a bit so she'll back to enjoying some food again. We took her to LPCH again on Wednesday (yesterday) for some more hydrating fluids and the docs re-checked her liver counts. Thankfully, they have started to come down and are more around 5 times normal now rather than the alarming 10. Another good sign. Just gotta keep the good vibes going!
Story time...
Ellie has at times started to dread going to LPCH. You have to wonder why since the minute she walks in there, the staff drops what they are doing to treat her like a rock star. Seriously, the girl could set an attendance record for observers during a visit that puts some small market sporting team's home game fan count to shame. So, over the weekend when Ellie was feeling just plain awful, "Gigi" (Polly's mom) handed Ellie a single $20 bill and told her she could go into the LPCH gift shop and pick something out to buy for herself the next time she was there. Ellie took it from her and was elated she now had ONE "dollar" in her hand.
After Wednesday's hydration, labs, and chemo session Polly had planned to take her to the gift shop on the way out. Having been enamored with the possession of one whole "Dollar" for a few days now, she was starting to have second thoughts about parting with it. There was much talk about buying balloons and other cool things she sees many times passing by there on her way to the Bass center clinic, but the idea of not having the money anymore was slightly troublesome. She then asked Polly if and when she decided to buy something at the gift shop, would the store person take her money and not give it back? Polly explained that the store clerk would give her the balloon in exchange for the money and when you buy something you give your money up. There were a few 3 year old requisite "Why?"s that followed but finally she settled on mom being right (and what is fantastic at this age is that the perplexing yet thought provoking question of "why?" can be asked and then promptly answered without fail to the complete satisfaction of all parties involved by responding simply "Because". Not saying I pull that card out all the time, but in some dire situations, I am going to miss it dearly when it no longer works as she will continue to prod with the exact same question again, only this time twice as LOUD). Why? Because.
So, in they march to the gift shop. Ellie mulls around and picks a balloon out. Thematically yours, Bob the Builder! She immediately tells Polly that she would like to spend part of her dollar to buy this for Timmy. Awesome. (Have I not told you how wise beyond her years she is?) She also picks out a cool little pink flashlight for herself and goes to the counter to pay for both items. She hands the clerk the $20 dollar bill which as you can imagine is much more than the cost of the two items. The clerk hands her back change consisting of TWO $1 bills. To her shock, awe, and completely pleased surprise with a grin that would make a sunny spring afternoon jealous, she looks at Polly and exclaims, "See mommy! I bought the balloon and she didn't take my money. She gave it back to me and now I have TWO Dollars!" :)
That's my girl. I teach math....and I don't find a thing wrong with that logic. If anyone has to tackle Leukemia, we'll find a way to double your money too. Take your flashlight and light the way, El, Mommy and Daddy are right behind you.
I started going to church regularly when I was 12-13 years old. I remember questioning in all seriousness (as adolescents do) how it was possible for a mortal man (Jesus) to perform miracles. Seemed like too much make belief without any hard core facts to back it up other than stories passed down through generations. I had a hard time accepting something that was too much of an unknown. In what sometimes seems like a blink of an eye, here I am some 24 years later still having not seen half of what I hope to see before I take my last breath. But over a time period that cannot appreciatively be shortened (therefore decreasing its effectiveness through quantity of experiences lived), I have come to know and begin to fully embrace the mystery of Faith. I say "begin" because there is always so much left to learn. Faith has allowed me the privilege to grow while bearing witness to miraculous things that then shape how we carry ourselves onward.
Ellie and Timmy are Polly and I's walking miracles. From a mental snapshot, an actual photo, or a simple moment caught in time.....I can look and just know that everything makes perfect sense.
I applaud the MissyE's logic here. She is always one to see the silver lining!
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