This was taken tonight, just before bed. The steroids she's on make her face puffy, but have you ever seen a more cheerful smile?Things went smoothly at LPCH today, she got #7 out of 9 shots in the leg ("That actually wasn't too bad," she said afterwards), Haley played at her new friend August's house while the rest of us were at Packard (Haley is feeling much better today, by the way), and Emily ate a big plate of shrimp pad thai for dinner and played the Wii.
But the latest news is that Emily's hair has begun to fall out. I don't mind telling you that I am handling it much worse than Emily is herself. Yesterday she reported that some fell out but neither Chris nor I saw it so we weren't sure how much it was, but just now she was watching TV and playing with her hair and a larger-than-average clump came out. We have been totally prepping her for this. We have been telling her that all of it will fall out and she has taken it in stride in typical Emily fashion. Some kids don't lose it all but we didn't tell her that. We even heard that some people don't lose any of their hair but we didn't tell her that either, although I secretly hoped that she would be one of those lucky few.
The whole losing hair thing was something that Emily could definitely get her mind around when we first told her that she had cancer and it was one thing that really made her sad. She would say that she wished she didn't have cancer and she didn't want her hair to fall out. Tonight when it came out we asked her how she felt and she said she felt scared. She is scared of how people will react at school when she goes back. We had already told her that if anyone teased her, to tell Daddy and Mrs. Spencer, the principal, and they would take care of it. That made her feel better. She also started telling me about how Grandma says that it doesn't matter what you look like on the outside, but that you're beautiful on the inside. I am more than proud of my girl!
A few minutes after she went to bed she called out to me that she had a tummy ache (the chemo makes her have a chronic tummy ache, it seems). I went to check on her and we talked for awhile and then I asked her, "Besides the tummy ache, how do you feel?" She said cheerfully, "Pretty good!" I said, "What kind of feelings do you have right now?" She said, "Excited about making pancakes with you in the morning!" I guess she has her priorities straight. :-)
Posts
11 comments:
Wow Emily you are beyond brave, you are just amazing! Such a beautiful picture and such a beautiful smile. We are sorry to hear that she is starting to lose her hair but Grandma is most definitely right, what is on the inside is what counts. Enjoy those pancakes...sounds good, I think we will have that for breakfast too!
Emily is such an inspiration! Every time I read her blog I am blown away by how she is managing through all of this (her mom and dad, too!).
Enjoy those pancakes!
Way to go, Emily, you are such a brave little girl. We read about you every day and think good thoughts send send love and hugs. Love, Aunt Ann & Uncle Chris
Emily, you never cease to amaze me with your endless amount of courage. I can not begin to imagine how difficult this must be for everyone. I donate my hair every two years to Locks of Love and by the time I grow out my hair for the next round, hopefully Emily will be done with this and I will donate mine in her name. I am so proud of you Emily, and wish I could do so much more for you and your loving family. Hang in there. It's okay to be scared. You have everyone who loves you who will take good care of you. Sending lots of happy thoughts! Jane
Emily-
We are so proud of you! You have been so brave through all of this.
And, I love your pictures.
Your grandma is right. You are such a sweetie, through and through! And, it is your beautiful, bright smile that always lights up the room.
Aunt Michele
P.S. Try adding chocolate chips to your pancake batter. The girls LOVE our chocolate chip pancakes!
And, If you are being really adventurous, you can add strawberries and whip cream.
They are probably not as yummy as your Taco Bell Nachos (LOL!), but I guarantee you will love them :O)
Dear Tracy & Chris -
It is obvious that Emily has gotten fantantic training her whole life to be able to accept and live by the fact that being beautiful on the inside is what truly matters. No one wants to lose their hair, but I know she can weather this just like all the other difficult things she's gone through already. She is our little fighter and we can all learn from her.
Love, Grannie
Our thoughts are certainly with Emily and all of you. As I was reading over your blog, I was struck by the amount of courage and strength your family has. Hopefully all the students at school will only see Emily's strength and bravery, not her missing hair.
Emily,
You are so brave. It is so good to see your beautiful smile and we are all going to be so happy when you can return to school. I hope you had a great time playing with your Wii...sometimes I play with my grandchildren...I'm not very good at it and they laugh at me. Children sometimes are much better at things than grandparents....and you have been so brave thoughout all if this, that I bet you are one of the best Wii players ever. I hope you and your family are having a wonderful weekend.
Tracy, it's so nice to read your posts on the blog!
I'm glad that Emily is starting to get used to some of the treatment, so it's not such an ordeal for her each time you go to the hospital. What a brave, brave girl she is. I just love her big smile in ALL the pictures you've taken since she got sick. She's such a trooper!
We don't care how much hair Emily has (if any), or how poofy she gets -- we miss her and can't wait to see her once we're healthy!
Love,
Stephanie (& Gray, Ben, Lucy)
That Emily is one kewl petunia to be proud of! Aren't kids the most amazing, perceptive, forgiving and resilient little creatures? Everyone at school is anxious to see and reconnect with Emily. They are fully aware of the hair loss thing and I am most confident will embrace her with all the coolness and loyalty that kids this age have. Caitlyn and I are still praying like warriors for all of you - as a matter of fact, we don't have closure until we do :)! See you soon!
Love,
Jeanne
You know what, Emily? Even if you lose all your hair, you'll still be beautiful on the OUTSIDE, too! There's no disguising your beauty, inside and out!
Post a Comment