"THWACK -- THWACK -- THWACK -- THWACK"

Consolidation - day 2

"THWACK -- THWACK -- THWACK -- THWACK"

That knocking sound you hear is me banging my head on my computer desk! Along the lines of "third times a charm" I say with absolute certainty that this is the THIRD AND FINAL TIME that I have jinxed myself by writing something in Kendrie's journal and then having it come true the next day.

First jinx -- saying we had Kendrie's oral meds under control. The next day, new, bigger meds, and we tried to get a mountain of powder in her and she completely balked. Hopefully that's a sign she'll never be an addict, right?

Second jinx -- "my child certainly doesn't have the behavioral problems associated with steroids" equals (=) Demon Personality From Hell. 'nuff said.

Jinx #3 (and FINAL jinx) appears in the journal entry I wrote on Tuesday night of this week about "we are so awesome, we've gone the entire 32 days of induction without a fever or illness or ER visit" and would you believe that not thirty minutes after I hit the "send" button, Kendrie woke up screaming and didn't stop for something like twelve hours?????

So yesterday saw us driving back up to Atlanta for a visit to the ER at Children's Hospital. It was justified, as she did indeed have an ear infection and another problem that shouldn't be discussed in great detail except to say it involves some gaseous substances and a need for a much greater vigilance on my part about her daily stool softener. No wonder the poor kid was miserable.

She made it extremely clear to me that she was not at all happy about another six hours in the car (did you know a full bottled water can actually dent the back of a person's head?) Ok, not that bad, but I do need the 800 number of whatever company has invented "soft butt" car seats, if anyone has it.

The good news is that we have been off steroids for three days now and I'm starting to see brief glimpses of the lovable, funny kid I remember. Yesterday, laying in the room at ER, she asked me in the sweetest, most serious little voice, "on the way home can we stop at the same restaurant and have some more of that delicious fish?" Just hearing the words "Delicious fish" come out of her mouth made me giggle. So of course we stopped, had our delicious fish, and even better, got two cups from Steak N Shake with no holes in them this time. (again, see previous journal entry if you don't know what I'm talking about.)

Now, I'm not going to say that my little ray of sunshine is burning as bright as ever, because sure as I do that I will invoke the jinx policy and she'll wake from her nap with a Charles Manson personality, but here's hoping better days are ahead!!
love to all, Kristie
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KENDRIE'S PERSPECTIVE

WORST PART ABOUT HAVING CANCER TODAY: All the hair that is falling out of my head keeps getting caught between the new fat folds under my chin and itching me to death!!! Plus my chemo drugs from Tuesday are making me achy.

BEST PART ABOUT HAVING CANCER TODAY: Mom let me eat the chicken nuggets and french fries that somebody left in the fridge --- boy, are they going to be mad later when they realize they're gone!!