WiseMindedLiving

Category: Uncategorized

  • Have to get sick before I get better….

    That is the simplest way to put this whole transplant experience.  Ryleigh has had a rough few days…but as each day has progressed she seems to be less affected by the medicine in this first cycle.  This is the third day of the first cycle of medicine – she is…

  • Just Winging It…

    Ryleigh is admitted and she has started the process… Yesterday, Ryleigh spent her day preparing and having surgery  to have her central venous catheter inserted.  The catheter is a thin flexible tube that lies under the sking  and creates a safe way into a major blood vessel. The CVC makes…

  • Always Thinking….

    I am thinking about Chloe and Ryleigh  constantly…how my behaviour,decisions, choices, and actions   will affect the emotional, social, and physical development of my girls.  This can be an overwhelming responsibility but one I do not resent or wish I did not have.  I appreciate the gift of parenting and how the never ending…

  • Reality can suck sometimes….but then something happens to lift my spirits!

    The last few days have been overwhelming and very tiring.  I am exhausted dealing with the various stressors in my world.  I wonder how I can get it together to deal with the next day of “oh boy, what do I have to face today”. I have been dealing with having…

  • Stage 1…Completed and Successful!

    Tonight Ryleigh celebrated being back at the apartment.  We made a parfait for her…as her mouth has sores in it and she needs gentle foods to eat as her mouth is hurting.  We are not sure if the Crohn’s is getting worse or if this is chemo related.  Either way,…

  • A positive beginning….finally!

    Disclaimer..the medical information included may not be 100% accurate…but I have done my best based on the information shared with me today. Danielle, Angela (lab tech that tests and stores the cells), and Dr. Davis were very patient answering my questions. I am finally able to sit down and reflect…

  • Cell Factory needs to start working…

    Ryleigh has had a low key day. Her blood work came back and her bone marrow is still on a coffee break. Her ANC is still zero and her hemoglobin has dropped a bit. The peripheral stem cell collection that was scheduled for tomorrow has been put off until her…

  • Admission to BCCH Early…

    Of course things are not always easy with our dear Ryleigh…she will not follow a protocol, likes to keep the doctors thinking….. Ryleigh started getting a temperature that was 38 degrees or higher on Saturday afternoon. As instructed I called the oncologist on call. She wanted Ryleigh to come in for…

  • Waiting….Waiting….Waiting….

    I have been told in the past that I have the ability to show lots of patience…however, this time my patience is being tested.  It is an odd experience waiting for your child’s bone marrow to stop producing the cells that sustain their life.  As we are now a week…

  • Preparing for the stem cell “harvest”…

      Ryleigh’s time in the hospital was “non-eventful”.  We graded it a B+ as Chloe and I have devised a grading rubric about Ryleigh’s stem cell transplant process – ever the teacher, I am! The doctors that are responsible for Ryleigh were still on vacation so it was mostly residents…