What a Year

It has been just over a year since our lives have changed dramatically. Yes, of course our lives changed a lot after we got married, and after we had our first child, and then the next, and then the next...but to receive the news that one of your children has cancer is never something you expect. It is almost surreal to think back to the night when our pediatrician called me at home to tell me that Brooklyn's blood tests had come back and that he was pretty sure she had Leukemia. I was floored. She had been sick back in October for a couple weeks, so our doctor ordered some blood tests, which came back pretty normal, but he just wanted us to follow up with more tests the next couple months to be sure all of her numbers were going the right way. I really hadn't wanted to go in that day in January because I knew she was fine, and I hated having to get her arm poked for nothing. She had been acting totally normal, in fact, we had just gone to her gym class and I had a little time to spare before I had to pick Kayla up from preschool. It wasn't fun but she did great and we went on with our day. When he called that night, I didn't even know what to say. I didn't know anything about Leukemia, or much about cancer in general, except that it is bad. I never even watched the St. Jude commercials because I thought it was so sad to see kids that were so sick. He told me we would have to check in to the hospital the next day and expect to be there for at least a week. He had called ahead for us and had already spoken to the Oncologist, whom he had worked with during his residency. I tried to ask questions, but didn't really know what to say. Mike was still at work so I had to call him and tell him to come home through my tears. It all seems surreal now. That week in the hospital seemed like an eternity. We learned more in 48 hours than we ever thought we would know about blood or cancer or surgeries. Our pastor called a wonderful doctor from our church and she came and met us at the hospital and helped answer our questions and even met with the oncologist with us to help get some answers. It was awesome the way that our family and friends rallied around us, stepping in wherever we needed help. We didn't have to worry about Braden and Kayla because my parents were with them and we had people taking turns driving Kelsey back and forth from the hospital 3-4 times/day so she could nurse. It was comforting to know that we didn't have to worry about the other kids during a time when we were worried so much about Brooklyn. One of the hardest parts about that week and that time was that she seemed totally fine. So, it was like we were taking a healthy kid in to the hospital and making her sick. She was so amazing throughout everything. She never questioned why we were there or why she had to do all of this stuff. It was all so confusing, trying to decide if she should have a broviak or a port, whether she should be on the "study" version of treatment, how she should take her medicine...these were all things we had never thought about before and didn't know the right answer. We learned though that because of all the research that has been done and trials and tests, the cure rate for ALL is almost 90%. That means it goes away and never comes back. I never thought I would be thankful for the kind of cancer my daughter has, but I am. We have been so incredibly blessed by so many people this year. The support from our families has been wonderful and we are so thankful for them. The way that our friends have rallied around us with prayers, time, meals and gifts as well as two amazing events in Brooklyn's honor has been more than we could've ever dreamed of.  We are so humbled by your support and thankful for your help throughout this past year. I was looking through pictures the other day and it almost brought me to tears to see how bald Brooklyn was this summer, and to see how big she got during her first month on steroids. She has been through so much this past year, but to see her now is amazing. You wouldn't even know she is still going through treatment. Sure, the steroids that she's taking again this week still stink, make her irritable and cause her to wake up all night long and we still have to be extra careful with germs and fighting infection, but overall, she is doing so well. Her sweet spirit and amazing fight are proof that God is holding her through this time, He is holding and helping all of us.