Mobility Issues

This post is #168 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.

February 2, 2009

We were now using a wheelchair exclusively for our trips to Children's Hospital, and had become pretty well resigned to its use away from home.  But as time went on, Hannah was becoming less and less able to walk independently, even in our home.  She began to depend upon one of us to support her as she walked from the living room to her bedroom, and needed assistance to stand from a seated position.  In an effort to allow her more independence, we ordered a walker from medical supply, thinking she could use that to get around the house without always having to wait on one of us to help her.

She used that thing one time to walk from her bedroom to the living room, then disdainfully pushed it aside and said, "This makes me feel like an 'oldie'."  So we put it down in the basement and never brought it out again.  After all, we really didn't mind helping her.  I especially enjoyed helping her out of her recliner ... I would lean forward, we would wrap our arms around each other, and together, we would stand up.  Then we would hold each other just a bit longer to make sure she was steady on her feet before I would move around to her side.  Her hair was growing in, soft and fine like baby's hair, and I loved nuzzling my nose into her neck as I lifted her.  Hannah had never been a hugger growing up ... she wasn't even much of a cuddler as a baby ... so those moments of physical closeness were treasured.

Her decreased mobility was beginning to cause her some new issues, though.  My email from a decade ago explains ...

Today is our regular clinic day at Children's Hospital. Hannah's platelets were just 17,000 today, so we have already gotten a platelet infusion, and we are now waiting for her chemo treatment. She still has her cough, so the doctor listened to her lungs again today, and then ordered a chest x-ray. The x-ray showed no pneumonia (Thank you, Lord!), just a lot of "stuff' in her bronchial tubes. He feels that this is due to her not moving around much and the fact that her cough reflex is very weak right now.

So...she will be admitted to the hospital for some pulmonary tests and some experimental therapies to see what we can do to improve her lung function. He said that we should just be in the hospital for a day or two. We're thankful that they are being proactive and getting this taken care of before it turns into something more serious. Her immunity has risen somewhat (380), but she is still below the isolation cut-off of 500. We're hoping that getting her lungs cleared up will help her feel better, too, and give her some more energy.

We are so thankful for all of you...those who read these emails and are so faithful to lift us up in prayer. You continually keep us encouraged and remind us that God is good, all the time!

Therefore, having been justified by faith,

we have peace with God

through our Lord Jesus Christ,

through Whom also we have access by faith

into this grace in which we stand,

and rejoice in hope

of the glory of God.

Romans 5:1-2

Jill and Brad