Start of month 4

Olivia has been on her treatment for 3 months now. During her first month of treatment, when people ask me how she is, I have a hard time explaining the situation so I always say that everyday is different. It was a really tough because she was on steroids and it made her go through a lot of mood swings. Second month of treatment was much harder because she pretty much spent the month confined in the hospital. She developed infections and wasn't eating well. Her third month of treatment got better and it became more manageable for all of us. We have established our new routine and we were slowly getting used to our new normal. Now when someone asks me how she is, I am glad to put a smile on my face and say that she is doing great! Thank you for always keeping us in your prayers.

She had a long day at the hospital yesterday. It started with a blood test, then went to therapy while waiting for the test results. She enjoyed her therapy session especially going around on the tricycle. She still complains about her leg and we always worry that she would fall because of the way she walks, specially now that she's got so much energy! She loves to run around the house and do things on her own. The therapist said that it is important to let her use her muscles for a faster recovery.

Her blood counts came back good and so she was able to get her chemo. So far she is still on track with her chemo schedule. We hope and pray it continues to be that way. She will be on a break from chemo this coming week but the following week is going to be an intense one as she will be getting a lot of it all in one day, both through the IV and her spine. She will be sedated for that session.

Her hair has really started to thin out and she would ask me what happened to her hair. I always react like nothing's wrong. I just tell her that it looks nice and not make a big deal out of it. Olivia, you are so beautiful inside and out. We are so proud of you! One day you'll get to read this blog and you'll see how such a brave girl you are throughout your treatment!

Physical Therapy

We had our consultation with a physical therapist after Olivia's chemo today. As I have mentioned before, Olivia is showing signs of a foot drop because of the chemo she is taking. Once in a while she has been complaining about her leg hurting. Her doctor had advised for her to see a physical therapist. Upon examining Olivia, the therapist does not think Olivia will need a brace at this point. She will undergo therapy for now and will attend 30 min sessions every time we're at the hospital for chemo. We'll be doing some of the exercises here at home as well.

She enjoyed her visit today and loved playing in the balance beam and the giant exercise ball. Can't wait for her to get well and be able to attend gymnastics lessons!

Who would think this girl is getting chemo?! Just look at her energy! This was her last night having too much energy before bedtime. She did some yoga after dancing to relax. Great way to end the day and have a good night's sleep.

Chemo day

Here at the hospital for her chemo! Blood counts are good so we are just waiting for her chemo to be given to her. She's been keeping herself busy in the playroom while we wait.

Check out her port buddy shirt. It was her choice to wear this shirt so she just has to open the "window" of her shirt instead of taking it off completely to access her port.

Doing alright!

It's been about a week since my last post! Olivia is doing great, very playful and always wants to skype with family. Things have been pretty quiet this past week. Although Olivia has been confined in the house, I'm glad that she's doing normal things again.

Here are some of the things she's been keeping herself busy with...

Olivia is such a girly girl, always wants a hair clip and lip balm

I told her she has the same hair as her baby snow white doll and she loves it!

Once in a while, she likes getting swaddled like a baby!

She continues to complain about her leg hurting. Mommy's massage makes it all better she says.

She is scheduled to get her chemo again on Tuesday. As always, we continue to pray that she is healthy enough to get chemo.

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Olivia the Ninja

Move over coz here comes Olivia, our ninja fighter! She's into being a ninja recently, showing us her ninja moves! Check her out!

Phase 3 begins (Interim Maintenance)

Olivia finally got her chemo today which marks her first day of Interim Maintenance! Her blood counts looked really good and as always, she was so happy to see her friends there. This is her third month of treatment since diagnosis. For this phase, she will be getting less frequent chemo but a higher dosage. Her chemo will aim to "trick" the cancer cells by changing the mix of medication and frequency. At some point, the cancer cells get immune from medication and in order to trick the enemy, you establish a different cycle and approach to eliminate them.

She will also be taking the same chemo again that causes neuropathy. It is possible that she will not be able to walk again while on this medication. Earlier this morning, she woke up crying in pain and complained about her leg. This is the second time it happened this week. We were told that although the medicine can cause discomfort, it should not cause pain. We will continue to observe her and will be scheduling a visit to the physical therapist.

Here she is doing her selfie before going to sleep. She's always been affectionate and today she kept on asking for family hugs. Love this girl so much!

Priceless!

Today, Olivia had the chance to watch on video all her friends and teachers from school! She has been looking forward to this day! She misses all her friends and teachers and has been wanting to come to school to play with everyone. It's amazing what technology can do. Thank you to everyone who made this happen! You made Olivia so happy =)

She was showing off some of her toys to her friends and teachers!

Priceless...

Here she is, trying to get into the TV screen! She kept on saying she wanted to go there and play with everyone!

Delayed Chemo

We went to the hospital earlier today, supposedly to kick off the new phase of treatment with a chemo through IV. This next phase would be an all day affair everytime we visit the hospital. Her blood counts strictly need to meet a requirement before she gets the chemo. The day would normally start with a blood count, wait for results before the chemo medicine is ordered, then chemo is administered. Unfortunately, her blood counts today were too low and she was not ready to receive chemo. I was surprised because when we had blood counts done last week, it was well above the requirement. I learned that throughout chemotherapy, her blood counts will go up and down, more so with this upcoming phase. There's nothing we can do to increase her counts. Her body will just do it naturally. Her ANC was 644 today vs 2,244 last week. Normal is 1,500 and the required ANC to receive chemo is 750. She's neutropenic right now, but since it's above 500, she's not 'severely neutropenic'. I'm praying she gets healthier to be able to receive chemo soon and get back on track. We will try again on Friday.

I was told not to worry that her chemo is being delayed. It is very common for this to happen in this phase due to low blood counts. Some kids even get delayed for 2 to 3 weeks! Upsetting as it may sound, it is actually more unusual to be on time, whether it be a low risk, standard risk (Olivia's protocol), or high risk. It is very different from the first phase (Induction), wherein chemo continued no matter what her blood counts were.

In other news, Olivia was happy and excited to see her friends at the hospital (doctor, nurses and child life specialist). Aside from immediate family, they're the only ones she gets to physically play with nowadays. She was such a big girl and was proud of herself that she was able to get her vitals checked all by herself! Usually I would have to accompany her, but today she did it on her own!

I told the doctor our concern about her difficulty in walking. The doctor was a bit concerned too because I guess at this point, she should be walking normally again. One of the rare side effects of a chemo she was taking before is neuropathy. This can affect nerves that control muscle movement. Olivia is showing signs of a foot drop, in which she is having difficulty lifting her feet. We will be seeing a physical therapist to have her examined. We'll find out more if she will need therapy.

In moments like these, we often think of the bad things and challenges that have come our way. But we also come to realize, that these are problems with solutions. It's a difficult path to take, but we always want to look at the brighter side. We are lucky to be getting the best treatment possible for our dear Olivia. Everyday we are blessed.

Lovely day

Olivia is doing great! She's eating better now and always happy and playful! Here she is dancing and striking a pose with her new Sofia hat like a model from Vogue. I looked up the lyrics of Vogue and thought it was a perfect expression of our thoughts right now:

When all else fails and you long to be
Something better than you are today
I know a place where you can get away
It's called a dance floor, and here's what it's for, so

Come on, vogue
Let your body go with the flow
You know you can do it!

Strike a pose! Vogue!

Glad Olivia is in good spirits! 2 months of treatment done! It's a long way to go, but we know you can do this Olivia!

Happy New Year

Happy new year from Olivia and family! This past year has been tough but we got through it! Thank God! It's a blessing to be around family as we ring in the new year. Wishing everyone a happy new year!

Olivia is doing well at home. Her blood counts from yesterday came out good and should be ready for her next phase of chemotherapy. It will be slightly delayed though because her current chemo is extended a couple days due to missed medication when she was sick at the hospital.