Late Summer 2008

This post is #92 in a year-long series ... Through this series of posts I plan to share our family's experiences during our 17-year-old daughter's year-long battle with brain cancer, which began in February of 2008. My desire is to process through the events of that year from the perspective that a decade of time has brought ... for myself, really. But if you'd like to follow along, you're welcome to join me.

August 4, 2008

The beginning of August always brings a flurry of back-to-school activity, and late summer of 2008 was no different.  Scattered among the weekly trips to Children's Hospital were cheer practices, band practices, basketball practices, back-to-school haircuts, visits to the dog groomer, dentist appointments, and end-of-summer visits with the girls' grandparents.  And of course, there was the requisite back-to-school shopping!

Bethany would be starting eighth grade in a few weeks, and Hannah was looking forward to her junior year of high school.  We knew the school year would be somewhat challenging with Hannah's medical situation, but things were going so well, we really weren't too concerned.  By the end of the school year, she should be just about finished with her treatments, and would be good to go for her senior year.  Things were moving along just as they should be.

My email from ten years ago tonight ...

This will once again be a short update, because, thankfully, there’s not much to say. Hannah had her weekly blood work today, and her counts have dropped slightly, as expected at this point in her chemo cycle. They are probably a little higher than they were last month at this point in the cycle, so that is good.

She also went to see her ophthalmologist today, at the recommendation of her oncologist. As a result of her surgery, she has some remaining double vision and some difficulty with her upward eye gaze. Neither of these problems is too bothersome…she is able to read without difficulty, and the upward eye gaze is only a problem when she is in a seated position and has to look up at someone standing beside her. She is able to look up, but it requires some extra effort. We’ve been told that these problems may yet resolve themselves, and our visit to the ophthalmologist was just so he could get a baseline indication of where she is right now. Next Monday, we will go to Children’s for our monthly appointment.

Psalm 73:28 ... "But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God; that I may declare all Your works."

God is good, all the time!

Jill and Brad