Well - This is just terrible news - but it could be worse. Your daughter is young and strong and that's what you need to go into battle. That's just what this is: a battle.

Unfortunately, I know a bit about the effects of chemo. The side effects vary amongst the different types of treatment used. My husband never did lose his hair, because the type that he was on does not cause that. David had a shunt installed in his upper chest and he would wear a pump that steadily pumped his treatment into his body for 3 days at a time. Then there was a "break" before he had to have another treatment. This went on for six months or so.

One thing it seems like all chemo regimens have in common is nausea and lack of appetite. This is where you need to be especially vigilant. David got down to 118/119 pounds at his lowest point until we found the key. He would try to eat and I would nag at him to eat but he'd take a few bites and couldn't get more down. Some things that were delicious to him before tasted awful. We finally got him to stop losing weight when we began giving him a special shake every morning. It is basically Instant Breakfast in a milk base but we also added ice cream to make it more like a milk shake and to add fats and calories. Sometimes we'd plunk in a half a banana for additional potassium. You could use different flavors of ice cream and different fruits. Also be sure to give her a good multivitamin.

I'm so sorry that the both of you are going through this. It's miserable, I know. We are here for you. Feel free to PM me if you like.

I found this link maybe they can help your daughter maybe not I don't know, even if they can just give her someone to talk to... Error, missing URL. /

Tink..I'm serious-if you are in Denver and need a little break or just want to go to dinner with someone, call me. If your daughter is allowed out of the hospital, my daughter is the same age too. You can pm me and I'll get you my phone number if you want. I'm only an hour away.

Raven - we made my Dad the same kind of "milkshakes" as you described only using Boost. The Boost was per his Dr's suggestion. We would purchase vanilla Boost so that it could be flavored many ways. We always added ice cream and sometimes fruit. Dad always seemed to be able to taste this.

Tink - Again, prayers are being sent your way that your daughter beats this awful disease. She is young and healthy And she doesnt have the fears that we as adults have regarding cancer.

Well we are in Denver Colorado and this motel room looks like aparment not a motel room. It has a kitchen and 2 beds. but we go to her Doctors apointment tomorrow then she start the ct scan and so on. tuesday she dose the surgery to get the port in then wensday she startt her cemo. so it is going to be a busy week for us. I will keep you guys inform how she is doing with everything here k.

David says that having the port put in is easy squeezy. Of course, you're out like a light when they do it, but it isn't really uncomfortable afterwards either. He also said that it can be quite painful when they actually put the needle in through the port to introduce the chemo - but only for a few seconds.

So sorry to hear about this! I am survivor too, a bit different though- I had a pituitary brain tumor that was benign (non cancerous) but can grow and grow until it can't be removed and is also one of the most recurrent tumors usually requiring multiple surgeries and radiation and shunts and things over and over. I luckily caught mine when I went for glasses and had loss of peripheral vision. I had one surgery (age ten) and no recurrences. To be honest it all happened so fast I didn't really have a chance to be that scared, I was mostly really upset that I was supposed to be just visiting the U.S. (I was living in Denmark) and never got to go home (to Denmark). Not that it wasn't a big deal, I had my head cut open (!) and get MRIs every year. I now take medicine every day to replace all the pituitary hormones but my body will never really be "right" since replacing hormones is never really accurate. The best suggestion I can give you is to find an email list or forum for children with lymphoma. They can really give you support and tell you what to expect with treatment and recovery and help you through the darkest times.

Evelyn - How is Avis doing? Any updates? How are you doing with all of this? Tell Avis she is in our prayers.

Well she had surgery today. Every thing went good but she is hurting realy good though. They put the port on her right side of her chest, did the spinal tap to get spinal fluid and the bone marrow. So she went through alot today but in all she is doing ok. I will still keep you all up dated on her

Thanks for the update. Tell her to hang in there that she has a lot of people she doesn't know pulling for her.

I read that to mtb and she said cool and magor sweet. She is try to be strough with all this going on with her right now. She likes to thank all of you for every thing. She can't wait to get home becouse thare are some boxs at our house waiting for her and to see everyone at home. she is getting so bored here it is not funny right now.

Tink, how is Avis doing? I think you said she would start chemo today. Is she doing ok? Would love a update when you have time.

Well we are home for a couple days. We have to go back on wensday becouse she has anther bone marow and spinal tap on thursday morning and then cemo treatmeant that afternoon. She did realy good on her frist treatment of cemo but today she was sicky feeling. Doing better tonight though. We are going to take our other 2 kids with us on wensday so they can met everyone down there and see what sisy has to go through. The Doc told us to let her do her hair wild since it is going to fall out so she wanted her hair pink. So I hightlighter her hair pink today. But she has been a vary big girl with the tests she went though. You all should be vary proud of her. Oh we found out she has Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. She has alot of cancer cells in her bone marow. The servial right is still good though. It was a realy a rough week for all of us and we are glad we are home to rest up tell we have to go back on Wensday. Then after that she will be able to get the treatment here in Gillette for about 3 weeks tell she has to go back to Denver. Well I am going to go for now but I thought I let you know how she is doing.

Here is a web site me and my hubby is building for Avis. It is not done yet but will be soon. The pictures will be update though out her cemo treatment so keep checking back for up dates on the pictures k.

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She looks like she's a real trooper. Prayers are still coming.

Tell Avis we are thinking of her!


Here is a working link:

http://martin_iii.home.bresnan.net/gallery.html

Yes, definitely let her know that there are prayers going up on her behalf!

Well Avis got her hair cut today and she looks realy cute too. I am even going to cute mine too so she don't feel bad.

She looks real cute with her hair cut.

Now we can really see that beautiful face of hers! Her new haircut looks adorable!

you should show her the pics of natalie portman with her head shaved. They look so similiar I think

Evelyn you tell Avis that her new hair cut is adorable. When I was with the paid fire dept. I had my hair cut very similar and I loved it. Avis is a very pretty girl, with or without hair. Her pink down the middle matches dizzys friend, LOL. You will have to look at dizzysmom post and the pink glider she has. Big hugs to her from the gang here in Florida

Evelyn you and Avis.. your whole family is in my prayers. I have had several family members go through chemo... I can't imagine. Avis look absolutely beautiful with her little pixie cut. SHe is just a little beauty. God bless you and your family! Keep us posted.

Abigail

I am glad that Avis has such a terrific mom to get her through these difficult moments now and ahead. I am curious how the other two kids are dealing? Do they realize how bad this could be and are they there to support her? I know in my family us siblings are not very close so it would be strange times going through such a thing.

My middle brother was in a car accident a week or so ago and when he was lying in the hospital bed he asked me to take off his shoe and sock to check his foot. After doing that I was thinking to myself how this was probably the first time Ive ever touched my brother other than maybe a hug once every three years.

I suppose that times like these are placed in our lives to allow us all to come together and grow together. Avis can be proud that she is helping to build your family stronger. And it's a good time to teach the others that it is ok to have and show affection for their sibling.

You may look back on these times and the difficulty now is not what stands out in your mind.

That's a very good point. I know that David's and my medical conditions have served to strengthen our marriage. Sometimes a little reality is all it takes to make you realize how much you appreciate your family and friends.

I agree, Kazko. Since my Dad was diagnosed with lung cancer 3 years ago, we have become a much more touchy - kissy type of family. Its really nice to be this way. I dont know why it takes something so serious to change our ways.

Tink - Avis is a very lucky little girl to have such a supportive Mom. She will never, ever forget how you stood by her during this very frightening time of her life.

Well I did cut my hair as short as Avis's hair. She say's I look cool with it. I did that so she didn't have feel alone or bad about it. So my hair is like an inch long right and I don't mind at all. I did it for my baby girl.

That was so awesome of you to do...hugs for your entire family!!

Anybody believe the hair cut story? Maybe you could post a pic of you & Avis together with your new "dos"? I bet you both look beautiful.

Here is the pic of Avis and me with our hair cut.