Things To Come

Late Wednesday night Alanna got her central line placed.  She is looking forward to not being poked any more.  We are thankful they were able to get her in last thing in the day.  Since it was so late into the night they decided to do her lumbar puncture the following morning.  Putting her under anesthesia twice in less than 12 hours.  She did a great job.  but was rather sleepy yesterday and hungry.

So far the infection she had is no more and she is recovering well from both procedures.

Okay, so treatment plan is:
She will have 6 weeks of Radiation Therapy.  5 days a week.  She will be outpatient during this time but the therapy must be done at UCLA which means we will not be able to go home during this time.  However; I do imagine we could make it home for some weekends.  Radiation will be given on her brain and on her spine for approximately 3 weeks.  The last 3 weeks it will be focused on the back of her brain where her tumor was in the focal area.  Treatments will be short, about 15 minutes each but during this time she will not be able to move which is why she will be sedated.  If you know Alanna, you understand her inability to sit still for anything!  She will lose all of her beautiful hair but it will grow back eventually. 

After radiation therapy she will endure 9 cycles of chemotherapy.  A cycle of chemotherapy is 4-5 days of chemo drugs followed by 4-6 weeks of rest.  Some cycles will be inpatient and some will be outpatient. 

With the need for chemo patients to be isolated because their immune systems are so weak she will be home schooled throughout all of 1st grade.  Hopefully by 2nd grade she will be able to return to public school which she loves so much.

The doctors believe that Alanna will do well and that she will be able to be cured.  It just takes time and lots of treatments. 

None of her treatments can be done in Santa Barbara.  There really isn't a whole lot for pediatric cancer cases at cottage hospital unfortunately.  I have been pretty sure that since they flew us by helicopter to LA that this is the best place for Alanna.  Steve will continue his job search where there are good pediatric cancer hospitals and we hope that we will find something good. 

The social worker we have been working with at the hospital found us a cute little guesthouse at a family's property who had lost someone to cancer.  The family wants to give back and have opened up their home to us while Alanna does her radiation therapy.  The home is about 45 minutes away from the hospital.  This is an amazing blessing and we are so grateful. 

As soon as Alanna finishes her antibiotics for the infection she got last week and she has no more fevers the hospital will discharge us.  Next week she will be fitted for the mask she will have to wear for radiation therapy.  Radiation should start the week after that. 

Thank you for the notes, gifts, donations.  I hope to be able to reciprocate to each one of you someday.  I hope none of you have to go through something like this but I do want to hug each and every one of you.  I have never felt alone through this entire experience.  The nurses, doctors, and hospital staff tell us that Alanna's room is the most decorated they have seen!