This our 151st posting on the blog. I can't believe that Emily has been going at this over 6 months, and we still have 6 or 7 weeks to go, until treatment will settle down. 2 and 3 trips a week to the clinic at the hospital, all the visits to the various clinics in the hospital, and a ton of in patient time. We've been through way too much. When Emily gets to maintenance, I plan to not update the blog as much, probably 1 post a week after we settle in. I hope when Emily is older, she can look back at this blog and get a sense of what this period of time was like for all of us.
There is nothing new to report, Emily is miserable and can't wait to start to taper tomorrow morning. She has one full dose of Dexamethazone to take tonight and then tomorrow the taper beings. I hope she feels better within a day or so, but I have no idea how long it's going to take for her to bounce back. She also has IV chemo tomorrow and I will have an update after it is complete.
Em's new hair
Happiness is a new head of thick hair.
Buddies
Dec the Halls
Emily decorating tree at Festival of Lights
Emily, Tracy, and Haley at Intuit's Winter Wonderland for kids.
Gingerbread House
Tracy and Emily at a Brownie Event
Really, we're in Hawaii.
Emily and Haley with Santa
Don't worry Haley he's nice.
Emily 1 day before Phase 4
Does anything beat Chocolate Cake?
Emily at AT&T Park
The Giants "Good luck charm"
Sunset at Tahoe
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Sisters at Tahoe Vista Beach
It doesn't get better than sisters spending time at the Lake
Thanks to Lori Smith, Emily's teacher, who participated in Relay for Life in Emily's honor.
Chris, Em, and Haley in SF
Emily Easter 2008
Happy Easter
Em in her hospital bed
5 comments:
I know how we all comment on how brave Emily has been through all this, but I also know this was done with the immense love and incredible support of her fantastic family. Hang in there, Pepper Family! Thinking of you everyday. ~ Jane
As the countdown continues to the maintenance phase, it gets tougher and tougher for Emily. Right now as the drugs are affecting her so badly, it must be so difficult for her to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Keep up the incredible work.
Love, Grannie
You are such an incredible family. These past six months have been a difficult journey for all of you. I hope it is some comfort to know how many people pray and support all of you each and every day. Emily is in my thoughts several times a day and I look forward to when she will feel better and we will get to see all of you at school again. I know that this time will come in the very near future.
mrs. breit
Dear Emily,
You are in a really hard part of treatment. You're miserable and sick of it all. It must feel like it's never going to end, like every day is dragging by. And you know what? You're right. Of course you want this to be over already! It is a hard thing to have to learn that wishing something doesn't make it so.
BUT! Time does keep going on and it will proceed and you will get to maintenance. One slow minute at a time. So what can you do? Escape time however you can with Mommy and Daddy's help.
If you feel the slightest bit sleepy, take a big fat nap. Sleep will help you escape for a little while AND help your body fight everything it needs to fight (germs, bad cells, everything).
Listen to stories on cd and go on a million adventures through words. Listen to your favorite songs. Maybe you can get some brown kraft paper up on a wall and a bowl of markers and have at it.
We did that at our house this summer. It was for my little boy Jaden when he was feeling really angry about some things. Guess what? Everyone ended up drawing on the Angry Wall but our dog Jackson.
And yours doesn't have to be an Angry Wall, maybe it's a DREAMING WALL of everything you want to do when you feel better. I hope even reading this epic comment took your mind off your misery for a second. :)
You can get through this, I know it from all I have read about you. I really only wanted to tell you that it's okay to be in a super bad mood about this situation right now. Sometimes that is all you can do is just be in a bad mood until it passes. This is I know to be true.
Wow, I can't believe it has been 6 months...I'm sure it seems like a longer time to Emily and you guys, though. Hopefully the next several weeks will go by fast, and Emily will be feeling better. We all miss seeing her at school, but I know she will be back soon with the smile we all love to see! Give her a big hug for me!
Love,
Kathy Ewers
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