Surgery #2

I guess we did speak too soon.

Our appt. on Tuesday took a VERY unexpected turn. Olivia had had a small amount of drainage from one area of the incision. It was looked at on Monday in clinic by Dr. Sampson (plastic surgeon) and he was not at all concerned. He and Dr. Gebhardt looked at it again at the appt. on Tuesday and since there was still some drainage, Dr. Gebhardt did not want to take any chances.

Olivia was in the OR at 5:30 that evening. They opened up the incision and drained the fluid. Turns out they did the right thing. We got word today that they found something in the cultures. We are not sure exactly what the plan is (depends on which service you speak with), but one thing we do know is that she will need to be on some pretty strong antibiotics for a long time.

I have to admit it has been hard news to take after getting such stellar reports on the healing process. We'll get through it.

On the bright side, Olivia had a very fun day today trick-or-treating all over the hospital, decorating cupcakes and just hanging out in the resource room.

Moving Forward

We are here again at the Jimmy Fund Clinic. Finishing up Week 5 of the first cycle of chemo post-surgery. We're not sure if it's safe enough to start counting down but we're going to do it anyway.

15 weeks to go.

Tomorrow is a big day. Olivia has her first follow-up appointment with Dr. Gebhardt (the orthopedic surgeon). She is hoping to hear that she can get rid of the cast and be fitted for a brace. That means she'd be one step closer to not needing the crutches. Hard to imagine but this is one appt. we are actually looking forward to. Until then...

Make-a-Wish

Turns out that Olivia will get a wish! All children with life-threatening illnesses are eligible and DF makes a point of referring all their patients. We won't say what she is wishing for until we know what is possible. I can only say that she is not being influenced by her parents! (Don't you think a (free) trip to Hawaii would be nice?)

We are nearing the end of the two-week break. Side effects were a little tougher this time around, but her counts are on their way back up and she is feeling pretty good. The plan is to start the next chemo on Monday.

Olivia also now has a tutor every day that we are home and she is feeling up to it. She started shortly after surgery and it is going very well so far. Just about caught up in all subjects (and ahead in Reading/LA). Nice to have a daily routine.

Olivia says hi and will write soon!

Back to Chemo

Just a quick note to say that Olivia got the okay from the surgeons on Tuesday to start chemo. Her leg is healing really well. The chemo will slow the healing down but everyone is happy with how things look.

Came in Wednesday and will go home on Friday afternoon, followed by two weeks at home. Still a long way to go but we know what to expect and in a few months Olivia will be able to start focusing on getting back on her feet!

Bored:)

Oh my god. You guys do not know how boring it gets. If it's from sitting in the waiting room or just being at home... it can get BORING. Im doing good and my cast is almost signed up! Don't worry i will leave some spaces for people who want to sign later. Love the support and everything you guys are giving me.

Love you guys<3
Olivia

Hospital Stay

First day home after 7 days in the hospital.

Thanks Summit UE for the great Welcome Home sign. Morgan couldn't wait for Olivia to see it and point out who drew each letter!

Our stay was mostly uneventful. Lots of rest and recuperation. A few days after surgery, the bandages were removed. Olivia couldn't wait to get rid of the "fluff." When asked how many stitches she has, the Dr. told Olivia that her chart would say TMTC -- too many to count! That wasn't good enough for her so the nurse started counting. 86 on the outside! And many, many more on the inside.

Next, a removable cast was made. It took a few tries to get a comfortable fit, but she got her favorite color (hot pink) and began to have it signed. Finally, she had a couple of PT sessions to learn to get around safely and with minimal weight-bearing. She won't be doing anything beyond that for about 3 months or so. She did great and if there's anything she has to learn, it's to slow down.

For now, she needs to rest and heal (and maybe start doing a little homework!).

Surgery

It's about 11:oopm and Olivia is resting. We arrived at the hospital at 6:00am and she was in the OR by 7:30am. Almost 12 hours later we got the word that she was in the ICU. She did very well through it all. We are incredibly thankful to have had three excellent surgeons on her case: Dr. Gebhardt (the main guy), Dr. Weldon (the vascular guy), and Dr. Samson (the plastic surgeon). The procedure went better than expected -- she didn't lose any blood vessels, and they did not have to use muscle to help close. Both of these will make a huge difference in the healing process and in building her strength. She'll be in the hospital for 6 or 7 days and then a little break for healing before getting back to chemo.

We also got the GREAT news from Olivia's oncologist, Dr. Renella, that her scans came back clear. We still have a long road ahead, but the results have all been positive so far. Thanks for hanging in with us. Your love and support make a HUGE difference in keeping Olivia positive and helping her to stay strong.

m