Tomorrow, though, starts another week of steroids. It is never fun, but something we are counting down-- 6 more weeks of steroids spread out over 6 months. I am hoping that it doesn't reverse the progress that Maggie continues to make with her physical development. This week she has started to walk with just holding our one hand. While I don't know what this means in the progression of development, we are quite excited. She has stood momentarily by herself, but if she really had to, I think she could stand for quite some time. Her balance and strength continue to improve. Her physical therapist, Nancy, who Maggie now refers to as Santa (she gave Maggie a Santa sticker), said that if Maggie continues at this pace, she might be walking in about 3 months. I think we can beat 3 months and that will be our goal!
Though we didn't formally wish you a Merry Christmas, we do hope that each of you had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We took our yearly Christmas picture yesterday before we took down our tree and decorations. As we took the tree down, I wondered what next year at Christmas will look like. Where will we be, what will our lives look like, will we still be a family of three, will Maggie still be with us? I promised her that next year she will help me decorate the tree. I hope that I can keep that promise.
We were talking to someone the other day about hoping the new year will be better than the last. 2009 wasn't a horrible year for us, much better than 2008. However, we hope that 2010 shows us an even better year. More specifically, we look forward to June 30, when we are finished with treatment!
9 comments:
Dear Andy, Whitney and Maggie, Hi, It sounds like you all had a GREAT Christmas and that warms my heart!Happy New Year ~2010~ to all three of you! :))) I'm so glad that you all finally got some normalcy in your lives...what a GREAT way to start the New Year! I'm sure it was such a great feeling to spend alot of time with family and friends over the holidays and attend church as well! And especially get to do it all since Maggie was very young. Thanks so much for all the recent up to date posts! All the pictures are absolutely awesome! Congrats to Maggie for reaching her normal weight! It's great to hear that Maggie is starting to walk...WOW all this GREAT news makes me so happy for you all! It sure sounds like Maggie is getting stronger! I hope that she will start getting a bigger appetite and gaining more weight on her own now.:) Only 6 more months until she is done with her treatments...wow...that will be here soon. Let's hope and pray that Maggie will be healed once and for all!!! :) Then the 3 of you and everyone else can celebrate with July 4th ***FIREWORKS***! ***~YAY~*** I am sending you all 3 wishes for a Very Happy and Healthy New Year with LOTS of SMILES! You all will continue to be in my thoughts and prayers as always!!! Take Care!
Much Love...Tina
What exciting news to hear of Maggie's progress in the pre-walking development!!! I bet she can beat three months, too! So glad you had a Merry Christmas with your loved ones. Will continue to be praying for you all and especially during this week of steroids.
It's been great to see you at church lately, although it seems I can never catch you to say hello. My six year old Joey actually noticed you first - well, she noticed Maggie and remembered her from Christmas caroling. We'll be praying for Maggie that this round of chemo goes well. Hope to see you next Sunday.
Hi Whitney,
I love all the photos you posted. Maggie is just so beautiful and I still love those cheeks.....speaking of beautiful..look at you hot mama!
I miss you, your emails and your face at our meetings.
I think of you often and keep you in my daily prayers.
I am thrilled to hear that you had a fun Christmas and New Year...you deserve that all the time.
I am looking at an envelope on my desk with your and Maggie's name on it....I promise to get that out this week.
Know that you are missed and loved and I look forward to running into you one of these days!!!
xxoo
Melissa
So glad you had a good holiday with family and friends.
Love and prayers always.
But especially for lots of good news in the coming year!
Great Aunt Phyllis
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I am glad that Maggie has gained some weight and is doing better. I don't know if you have checked Katie-Bell's site lately, but she got PCP pneumonia and had to be on a ventilator for almost 3 weeks. She is out of ICU and off of oxygen, but is struggling with nausea and diarrhea possibly from drug withdrawl from her sedation meds and her antibiotics. Hopefully if it is from the meds it will resolve soon as she is weaned off these meds over the next week or two. Some of it may be related to the prolonged intubation overstimulating her gag reflex which can be a way harder problem to get over. She has a nasal feeding tube that goes into her second portion of the intestine so she doesn't vomit up her feeds. I thought of all of Magiie's prlonged gi and nutritional issues and hope that Katie-Belle won't end up on longer term TPN or a surgically placed feeding tube. It seems if these kids beat the cancer, the cure just keeps beating them up. They will not restart chemo on Katie-Belle as she was due to finish in a month from now anyway, so technically we are done with chemotherapy. This just wasn't the way we wanted to do it. Katie-Belle just continues to live a rare and dramatic life. I am just glad that she is still living it. I hope all continues to go well with Maggie and that she will be walking and eating well enough to come off of TPN soon.
Karen Cooley
So great to read this post, and all the good things that happened over Christmas. Keep the faith- the next 6 months will fly, and before you know it, Maggie will be done with treatment!
God Bless,
Monica Miyashita
Orrville, OH
How did Maggie like the snow? I was thinking of you all today. Hope steriod week went well. Hugs! Jess
Have been thinking of you. I am hoping that no news is good news!
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