I finally have a wireless connection - THANK YOU Michael!!! Georgie has now started Protocol II which is the Central Nervous System part of her treatment. It entails a number of things as you would expect but it all revolves around four admissions over the two months for 3 to 5 plus days depending on how her system can deal with the chemo. She is having very high dose chemo over a 24 hour period and then she is on double maintenance fluids until the doctors are happy with the ph levels etc... Everything understand all of that. I am learning (or at least trying to) all sorts of things everyday. Some things that I would prefer not to know but that is the nature of the beast. She is doing very well so far and the doctors are pleased with how she is handling this chemo so far.
We are in the Camperdown Ward which is what the oncology ward is called at Westmead. We are sharing a room with Denis, three and a half year old little boy from Korea. They don't have a lot of English but they do have lots of visitors!! G is plugged in to her DVD player and I think that I should have the IPod in!! Hopefully Michael is able to drag himself away from work and able to visit us this evening. It will be good to bring him up to speed and for him to see where we are and how it all works when you are in the ward.
Yesterday Georgie had the chemo hooked up and then luckily there was a 10 minute free slot in the clinic for us to rush around with 5 mins warning so they could give her a GA to give her a lumbar puncture and also intra thcal chemo to the spinal cord. As she has to fast it would of been a really long day if we hadn't run. We had a quiet afternoon in our room doing craft/colouring in/movies/tv. In the morning she had a visit from one of the lovely "pink ladies" (volunteers) and a Yr 10 girl on work experience. G taught her how to play rummy while I took the opportunity to go and have a shower. The play therapist came and dropped off paints and other craft goodies which she used and they are now up on the walls of her room. Margaret, one of the teachers from the Westmead School also came and they did a poster together all about G.
I sleep on an arm chair that opens out into a little bed (not big enough for Michael) but fine for me. Typical hospital we are up and down throughout the night. Busy morning again today with visits from Giggles (large puppet on a trike) who is from Camp Quality who visits Camperdown ward each Tuesday, then Cathy, the play therapist who brought a special doll for G to play with. She comes with the whole medical kit and different hair lengths etc so she is busy playing with her now. She has called her Millie. Then we had Margaret, the teacher from the hospital and then later in the day, Valerie from Back on Track which is another support group who specially look after oncology patients. They are teachers who liaise with G's own teacher at Pymble Public. It is busy, busy, busy. She was also able to leave the ward and go to the Starlight Room across the hall for a little while. Georgie helped paint a sign which will be used on the Weather spots on the Today show this Friday in Martin Place in the city. It is Starlight Day on the 7th of May. The highlight of her day was a visit from Dr. Luce who she is very fond of. He has the most wonderful manner with all of us and they had a lovely chat. We may leave tomorrow or the following day depending on her counts and ph levels???
News from the home front sounds good. Jill is doing an amazing job. Apparently she and Charles went grocery shopping again today and then Sarah, lovely uni student has spent the last two afternoons helping Jill. Taking Cate and Charles to the park and helping with homework, dinner and baths. Cate is running in her cross country tomorrow so that is a shame that we are not able to be there but Jill and Charles are going to be there to support her. She is rather excited about it. Her very first!! My sister, Helen has gone up to Pymble tonight to see the children which Cate will really enjoy and that way Jill can go to Prayer group and Michael can come and visit us.
So that is all from Westmead. Hope you are all well. Look forward to hearing all your news too. Sxxxx
