Spoke too soon again

Hello all
Well Caitlyn's platelets didn't recover the way we were hoping for. Even though her platelets looked like they were on the rise at 85 when we were at Sick Kids on the 14th they are actually only at 54 presently. Really unknown as to way they were 85 at Sick Kids but after having blood work 3 times this week we have an accurate number now at 54 which means she wasn't able to start her chemo on time. The doctor's explanation was that her bone marrow is really tired and just needs a rest. So, they told Caitlyn to take a break for a couple of weeks and don't do any blood work until after the new year and then they will decide how much chemo they can give her. Now Caitlyn was pretty set on having this all over and done with before Christmas, so we figured she would be very disappointed, but Caitlyn being who she is said "oh well, at least I get a break for a while". There really is a brighter side to everything.
How is she otherwise? Well, she is feeling great and is very excited for Christmas. She has been busy wrapping presents for me. She is also starting to gear up for exams which are at the end of January so she is planning to start studying over the Christmas break. Hopefully her brother will take a lesson from her!
Well, we want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!


The Cobeans

The prayers are working

Well, hello all
Today was a very sucessful day at Sick Kids. Caitlyn started the morning with her eye appointments which she was told everything is stable and she doesn't need to come back for 4 months. Then we moved upstairs for the chemo doctor appointment. After having her blood taken 3 times they were finally able to get her platelets and they are up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They are at 85. This potentially means that by early to mid week, next week, she should be able to start her 6th and final round of chemo. We are hoping that we aren't building ourselves up for disappointment but are going with it for now. As Caitlyn said on the way home that this was the best Christmas gift anyone could give her!
Also while there with the chemo doc, he assessed her and and asked how her right side was. He was shocked and thrilled that she is getting movement back in the right arm and hand and that her right leg has improved greatly. He said that this is extremely rare because it doesn't very often come back. With Caitlyn's determination and the wonderful physio and occupational "terrorists" that she has they will prove them wrong.
Well, now that we have shared our great news, we will update you all next week after her blood work and hopefully we have jinxed ourselves.

the Cobean's

Still dropping

Well........
Caitlyn's platelets have dropped again and they are at 41 today. We are still scheduled to go to Sick Kids next Friday to the oncology floor. They will check her all over and then I guess we will continue with bloodwork until the platelets come back up. So right now it doesn't look like she will start chemo next Friday nor will she be done before Xmas but as I said last week, that is how the cookie crumbles. You soon learn to live by the seat of your pants.
Other than being tired Caitlyn is feeling good. She completed her Christmas shopping today and has it wrapped.
Well, we will update again following her appointments at Sick Kids next Friday. Until then......

The Cobeans

Low blood counts again

Hello all
Well, the counts are in for the week. Her platelets have dropped below 100 again. They are sitting at 69. Now, historically, when her platelets would go this low, they would take about 3 weeks to come back up. Well, she is to start chemo on the 14th of Dec, which is only 2 weeks, therefore allowing her to be completed prior to Xmas. If her counts don't recover fast enough she won't be able to do her chemo then and it will be either over Xmas or over New Years. We are needing an extra round of prayers to get those counts back up before the 14th enabling her to be completed prior to Xmas. But if that doesn't work, well.... you have to take the cookie as it crumbles.
Well, other than the counts being a little low, she is feeling good! Other than a few stomach problems, the headaches have slowed down and she rarely complains of a headache.
It is hard to believe, as we get ready for Christmas, that we are fast approaching the one year mark of this journey. There is certainly alot to reflect on this season.
Well, we will update everyone next week with the next bloodwork.
Until then..........

the Cobeans

Hello all
Not really much to report. Everything is going well, Caitlyn is feeling well. Her blood counts seem to be staying up where they are suppose to so far and hopefully I haven't jinxed myself. So hopefully her next chemo won't be delayed. It is scheduled for Dec 14th.
On the hockey side of our life, (which it seems we have only two things in our life, hockey and chemo, haha) Caitlyn has been asked to join the Midget girls hockey team which is where the majority of the girls she played with last year are playing. She is considered a staff member and is very excited about it. This weekend is Silver stick for the girls here in Port Elgin. There is a game scheduled for the Women's Hockey League on Saturday at 2 pm between Vaughan and Burlington. Caitlyn has been asked to drop the puck at that game. She is pretty excited about that too.
Well, hopefully I will have nothing more to report than hockey news for the next little while.
Take care
The Cobeans

Round 5 done!!

Hello all
Well, Caitlyn was able to complete round 5 of her chemo without a hitch. She had one day of feeling slightly gross, but it was a PD day anyways so she just laid around on the couch anyways. She has been at school throughout and feeling good.
This weeks blood work was just great so with all fingers crossed her blood work will stay up there and she will be able to start round 6 (last round in this protocol) on December 14th. We think that the plan after she is done chemo is that they monitor the tumour every 3 months and make sure there isn't any growth. But we really haven't went over with the doctors as to what happens after chemo. When we got this protocol explained to us was last January and we were having a little trouble looking past that day. But here we near the end of chemo and need to look beyond it.
Anyways it is good to see her feeling so good and getting back to some of the things that she used to do.

Til next time
The Cobeans

Round 5 at last!!

Hello all

Well, Caitlyn was finally able to start round 5 of her chemo. She is 5 weeks late but better late than never. She had blood work in Southampton on Thurs and it was still not high enough. She had an appointment in Toronto yesterday for a recheck on her foot so we went to Sick Kids to see about what we were to do, so they repeated the bloodwork. Someone answered my prayer, and her blood work had improved, so she was able to start last night. She, of course, was a little apprehensive because she has been so long since she last took it and she has been feeling absolutely great. But she put the brave face on and her first dose is in. She will be taking it for the next 4 nights then hopefully will have only 37 days off and start her last round (#6) mid December.

Other than this, as I said, she is feeling great. Her walking is improving and her arm is getting stronger. She is starting back with some physio and is setting some goals for the new year. Here is a picture of her when she dropped the puck at the Winterhawks game last week. She was presented with a signed jersey from the team and a signed stick from the opposing team. She was very excited!!

Well, hopefully we won't have any updates until next week to tell you that she sailed through her chemo.

The Cobeans

News from the MRI

After a long weekend of driving, the MRI went well yesterday! The news today is that the tumour remains stable!!!! That is all we ask for!!! All prayers were answered!!
Other than having a sore stomach and being home from school with it today, she is feeling good. She is feeling better tonight and should be able to go to school tomorrow. She hates to miss a day because she does enjoy the social aspect of school.
We are going to do blood work again on Wednesday and are hoping that her platelets are high enough to do the fifth round of chemo over the weekend.
Caitlyn is quite excited also for this Friday night as she has been asked to drop the puck at the Winterhawks game (new senior hockey team in town). The sponsor of the night asked her to drop it and put a display up in the lobby and being as this week is International Brain Tumour awareness week we thought this would be a great time to do something like this.
Well we are glad to share our good news with you all and hope to continue to share more.
Thank you to everyone for the continued prayers our way!!

The Cobeans

October 17, 2007

Hello all
Well, Caitlyn's count continue to rise. Her platelets are at 66, not quite high enough for chemo but at this rate, hopefully next week. I don't want to talk too soon though. She is feeling really good right now though, and appears to be getting more use of her leg and arm all the time. So her regular MRI (she has them every 12 weeks) has finally been booked and it is this Sunday morning at 8:30 am. Therefore we will be having a busy weekend with Bryanna's hockey game in Goderich on Saturday and Bryanna's BMX banquet on Sunday with a trip to Toronto in the midst of this. So all prays are very welcome as we go through yet another MRI to check the status of the tumour.

Til next time.......

Hooray

Well,
Good news, Caitlyn's platelets are starting to come back on their own. Her bloodwork today showed that her platelets are up to 35 from 26 on Monday. We are so excited, she will not need a platelet transfusion this week, like we were thinking would happen. This means she is that much closer to having chemo. Her platelets need to be at 100 before we can start and historically when they go up they go up fast. Seems bizarre that you would be excited about taking chemo but she has 2 more rounds. We have the chemo here at home so can start as soon as her counts are up she starts.
She is feeling really good right now and enjoying school. Other than that all is the same.

Til next time..........

A visit to Sick kids yesterday

Hello all
Well we were at Sick kids yesterday with the hopes of starting chemo. (While at least I was hoping, Caitlyn would rather not take it this weekend with Pumpkinfest on). Well, Caitlyn got her way, her counts are still way to low to start chemo. But being as her chemo is in pill form, we were able to fill the perscriptions and bring them home and when her counts come up we can start here.
They have decreased her dose of chemo being as her platelets are so low. They haven't seen this side effect in children yet, but it is a common side effect in adults. This chemo protocol is very new in children though, in fact Caitlyn is in the study group. It has proven to be effective in adults so they are now testing it on children. They also feel that her Dilantin (that blessed Dilantin) for her seizures could be causing some of this so she will be going to see a neurologist to assess this an change her to something else.
She has had a few very small headaches recently lasting less than a minute but the doctors were not that concerned about them.
So we now have a waiting game until her counts come up and we can get on with this chemo again.
Happy Thanksgiving to all, and take a minute this weekend to really reflect on all that you can be thankful for!!!
Til next time
Rona

September 30

Hello all

Well, lots of news!! Caitlyn's blood counts dropped again this week on Thursday down to 19 therefore she had another platelet transfusion on Friday night in Owen Sound. We are going to do her blood work again the first of this week to check how her counts are but Sick kids is hoping to start chemo this week. We have an appointment this Thursday there with the hopes. They are saying that they are going to have to decrease her dose as her bone marrow is not keeping up.

She also had a rather exciting day yesterday in Toronto at the Blue Jays game. She was on the field for the 7th inning stretch. All 2 minutes of it, but it was exciting to be right on the field. We had a bus load of people as well as 3 car loads go. About 60 people in total go and support us!!! What a great group of friends and family!!

She is still enjoying school and will finally be starting on the disability school bus tomorrow. We have been driving her to and from school daily while they organized it but as of tomorrow morning they will be picking her up and dropping her off.

Well we will update you more after our appointment at Sick kids on Thursday!!

Until then.....

The Cobeans

Platelets took a dive!!

Hello all

Well all is going well with school and Caitlyn is really enjoying it. She has been able to go to school daily until this week. This week her blood counts have took a dive. Her platelets, which helps with clotting, have been decreasing since last week and Monday's count was only 20. (The normal count is 250-400 and chemo can not be given unless the count is above 100 and Sick kids orders a platelet transfusion for 20 or under.) Therefore today we were in Owen Sound hospital for the afternoon for a platelet transfusion. Now we are lucky as this is a first and she has already had 4 rounds of chemo.

Her next round of chemo was scheduled for next Thurs (the 27th) but it looks like it will be postponed until her platelets are up above 100.

Well, we left the hospital after her transfusion and only made it to the other side of the city before her eyes started to swell and she developed a rash. So back to the hospital we went for Benadryl and they kept us for another 2 hours to make sure she was going to be alright. This is not uncommon for a reaction to happen. They do know though that the next time she needs a transfusion that they will give her Benadryl before the transfusion.

Anyways she has been to school for a couple of hours Monday and Tuesday and I think I will keep her home tomorrow to recoup and then back to the grindstone.

Till next time.

Rona

Back to School

Well today marked the first day of high school for Caitlyn. She is currently only taking Math and Geography. She is taking a course in learning strategy which is where she can get extra help to complete any work she may miss with being away from school periodically. Then she has a spare period to help with her fatigue.

Yesterday, we purchased a motorized chair for her to enable her to get around the school easier. With this she is able to get herself around the school without having to have an educational assistant to help her to and from classes. The original plan was that she would walk with the assistance of the EA until she was tired then she would have a wheelchair for the EA to push her in. Well, now she will be able to get around without their help and not be fatigued.

Overall though, she is feeling great. Her walking has improved, and her speech has really improved. She is improving daily.

Caitlyn's other good news is that she will be attending a Blue Jay's game on September 29 where the Ontario Brain Tumour Association is part of and they have asked for some of the Brainchild (an organization of parents of children with Brain tumours) children to help with the seventh inning stretch. Cailtyn has been asked to help with this and is pretty excited.

Well, there is our update for now and will keep you posted with her progress.

The Cobeans

Done chemo! Two more to go!

Well Caitlyn finished her chemo on Monday night and so far so good. She had very little vomiting but was plagued with some nausea. She didn't end up going to Owen Sound hospital because she was not sick enough. Maybe it helps to have everything in place. Murphy's law I guess. I believe with all the changes they made this time there was success. Also now that her dilatation level is coming down she is feeling a lot better & walking much better!Now I hope I am not talking too soon and it comes back but for right now she is feeling good & looking good. She started at the pool again today and worked hard at it. Well must go but will keep you up to date.

Thanks again for all your love and support.
Caitlyn & Rona

Round 4

Hello all
Well we were in Sick Kids yesterday. Caitlyn's platelet count came up to 125 yesterday, so it was a go ahead for chemo. They adjusted her chemo slightly due to her 22 pound weight loss. They have started her on a steriod for 3 days of her chemo with the potential of taking it a couple more days if need be.
Her Dilantin level was checked yesterday in her blood. Her dilantin is for her seizures and periodically it needs to be checked to see if she has enough in her system to ward off seizures. It was checked in May and found to be low and she had a partial seizure at that point. They increased her Dilantin at the point and we checked a few weeks after to be found that it was fine. Well yesterday it was extremely high, which could explain the symptoms she has been having like, slurred speech, fatigue, weakness, and trouble walking. Therefore meds have been changed and we are hopefully that these symptoms will change for the better.
Well, we will keep you updated as to how this round pans out.
The Cobeans

Platelets up slightly

Hello all
Bloodwork yesterday showed us that her platelets are up to 87 from 68 last week. So at least it is going up and no longer down. We figured that there would not be chemo this week, but we got a call from Sick Kids today to tell us to come down on Thurs. They will do her blood work again, and are anticipating that her count will be up even more. They will start her chemo this week, then. The plan is that they are going to decrease her dose, (being as she has lost 20lbs), they are going to put her on a steriod for the days she is on chemo and they have changed her nausea medication. With all this and the fact that she will be admitted to Owen Sound hospital should make this round better.
She is feeling pretty good, having trouble with the walking department because she became so weak with the last round of chemo, but as soon as she feels better from this round, it is back to the grind stone with therapy. She hasn't been able to do much therapy this summer with the chemo and then we were away.
Anyway, I will update you after Thursday's appointment.

Take care
The Cobeans

No chemo this week

Hello all
Well, my thoughts were confirmed. Caitlyn's chemo has been held off as her platelets are still low. They need to be above 100 before they can give her the next round of chemo. We will be doing her bloodwork on Monday to see where we are at and if we can start chemo next week. She is certainly enjoying the fact that she has another week or so to feel good. And that she is right now (feeling good). She was back to the pool yesterday for therapy which seems to have helped with her walking. Well that is about it and we will report back in next week with her blood counts.

Til then,

Rona

Home from holidays

Hi all
Sorry for the lack of postings lately. Caitlyn is doing really good right now. She went to Camp Kintail from July 22 until July 28. She had a great time there!!! She has had lots of stories to tell us since. We get daily stories from camp. She had great counsellors and cabin mates.
We picked her up in the morning of the 28th and we left that afternoon for the family cottage, which is near North Bay. We returned home from the cottage yesterday. We all had a great time and Caitlyn got in the lake while up there. She had a blast!!
She is feeling good right now, eating and drinking well. She is starting to be able to walk around on her own again. Because she was sick with the last chemo, and became so weak, she was not walking around without help. During camp she was in a wheelchair because it was easier to get around. Therefore she has to retrain her body to walk around on her own again, but she is doing well.
She is to start chemo this Thursday but her platelet count is still low. Her platelets have been at 67-68 for the last 3 weeks. Apparently her platelets need to be above 100 before she starts her next round so I guess we will be holding off of chemo for now. I will need to talk to Sick Kids tomorrow before I can say for sure but it looks like we will be doing her bloodwork again next week to see if it is above 100 to start then. She is excited about that because she is feeling so good right now she doesn't want to ruin it.
Well I will update again when I find out for sure if chemo is postponed.

Rona

July 23rd

Hello all
Well things went very well last week. Caitlyn was discharged from hospital on Monday of last week and spent the week regaining her strength. She spent the week eating and drinking and bounced back to what she was prior to her last round of chemo, "on top of the world".
She did end up going to camp yesterday (Sunday). She was pretty excited about it. She will be skipping the swimming part of camp, (they have to go down about 100 steps to the lake) and spent it with the nurse, napping. They also have "down and out" time every afternoon so she planned on napping then too.
But she was so excited about camp that she worked hard getting her strength back before she left. So it is very quiet around here without her and Bryanna is enjoying the use of the couch again. I will be going down to get her for her bloodwork on Wednesday morning and will return her to camp by lunch time.
Well, we will update you after the week at camp.

Rona

Spoke too soon

Hi all

Apparently I spoke too soon with the last posting when I said that Caitlyn was starting to feel better. Well, she felt better that weekend, Thurs, Friday and Saturday. But on Sunday (the 8th) she started to get dizzy and had double vision. By the next morning she was vomiting. Well by Wednesday we were in the emergency department in Sick Kids for most of the day. They did a CT of her head to make sure that she didn't have any fluid build up around the tumour. Which came back the same as her last MRI, stable. They told us that she was dehydrated and sent us home. Dr. Sauro, her pediatrician, admitted her to Owen Sound hospital on Friday, because she was still having dizziness and double vision. They gave her an IV on Friday and by Saturday they started TPN which is nutrients and minerals through the IV site. They felt that the dehydration and malnutrition from the nausea and vomitting was causing her to be dizzy then the dizziness was contributing to the nausea and vomitting. Anyways by this morning, she was doing better so they discharged her. Today she has had 3 meals, which is a first in 2 weeks. The doctor is talking about possibly admitting her to the hospital in Owen Sound during her next round of chemo to prevent her from getting to this state.

Camp has been put on the back burner for right now. She can still go next Sunday for the week and if that doesn't work she could go in August. She has her heart set on camp and how can you deny her when she is a kid who just wants to be the same as everyone else. She has to deal with so many adult things, it is nice to see her excited about something.

Well, I am not going to say it, so we just hope everyday will prove to be a better day than the last.

Keep the prayers going!!

Rona

Starting to feel better!!

Well, things are starting to look up. Caitlyn was up and moving around a bit more today. She is still tired and not eating very well, but at least she is eating small amounts and is not as nauseated. She is walking around the house without support again as the dizzyness has left her again. Thank you God! She is drinking well, also!! The side effects of this round are definitely resolving sooner than the last one did.
Our other dilemma is that she was signed up for Camp Kintail for mid August and we had to make the decision today to call and cancel it. The week she was to go, was the week that she finishes her next round of chemo. When I called camp today though, they offered her an opportunity to go as a volunteer of Kintail (VOK) for the week of July 15-21 which would work out better with her feeling better. They help out with meals, setting the table and doing dishes as well as a major project as a group. Anyway, she will get 30 of her 40 hours of volunteer needed for her high school education. She is going to try this. She is now on cloud nine with the thought of being actually able to go to Camp Kintail. This will be her 10th year at Camp Kintail.
Well everyone keep your fingers crossed that she remains on the upswing of this round!!!

Rona

Update on chemo # 3

Hello all

Caitlyn has finished round 3 of 6 chemo. She started last Thursday and finished last night. This one didn't go very well again. She did well until Saturday when the nausea started. By Sunday night she was very dizzy and the nausea progressed to vomiting. We could not get the vomiting controlled long enough to get her chemo into her that night, so we went to the hospital for an IV. They gave her the nausea medication that she normally takes by IV which finally settled her stomach long enough to give her the chemo. She fell asleep about 3 am in emerg and we returned home at 7 am. She went back to bed when we got home and didn't get up until 6:30 pm. They left the IV in her hand as she is has poor veins for starting an IV. If she starts to drink better, I will take it out. She has been very weak and nauseated since. Tonight we are starting to see a slight improvement. She is drinking sips and had 1/3 of a roll. The most food she has ate since Sunday. She is done with chemo for now, so she should start to gain her strength back again. We will keep you posted though. Here is a picture of her tonight in her domain (the couch).

Rona

More good news

Hello all

We were down to Toronto on Sunday for Caitlyn's routine MRI. She has one after every 2 chemos. Anyway we received a phone call on Monday from one of Caitlyn's doctors with good news. Although I was a little nervous because I always think no news is good news, but they apparently call the family right away when they know you have an MRI.

Anyway the doctor was pleased with her MRI. He stated that the tumour remains the same and possibly slightly better, which is our goal!!!

We are heading down to Toronto tomorrow to get started on chemo for round 3. This will mark the half way mark of the chemo. Hopefully this round will be better for Caitlyn than the last one was.

Anyway, we thought we would share another picture from grad, also. This is two of Caitlyn's good friends, Kae McDermid on the right and Nicole Carson on the left. Both are in Grade nine and attended the grad to support Caitlyn.

Everyone have a great Canada Day weekend!!

The Cobeans

Graduation Day

Hello all
Today was Caitlyn's grade 8 grad day!!! It was very exciting!! She looked absolutely beautiful and felt great to boot. She is continuing on and having a couple of very good weeks. She is feeling great and her strength is increasing. Her leg and arm are getting better.
We are heading to Toronto on Sunday for her next MRI and we will get the results on Thurs (28th) when we head down to start round 3 (of 6) of chemo.
This entry is short and sweet but mainly to show Caitlyn off with her grad outfit on.

Rona

Back from Toronto

Hello all
We were in Toronto for a couple of appointments this week. Wednesday, Caitlyn had an appointment at the eye clinic. This was a 3 month check up as she had lost the vision in the bottom right corner of her visual field. It seems the same. They performed what they call a visual field test, but there was some problems with the testing so the doctor said that they will just repeat it in 3 months again. She also had an appointment booked for today (Friday) with the orthopedic doctor that fused her ankle in Dec, but we received a call late Wednesday (while we were in Toronto) to say that it was postponed until August. While we had already checked into the hotel room so we stayed Wednesday night. We then went to Sick kids yesterday for blood work and a quick check up with the doctor. Every thing is going well though.
She is feeling really good. Still quite tired but the doctor told us that the tiredness should start to subside soon, as the fatigue is from the radiation. She is pretty busy with her therapy program though which tires her out.
Well all is good so we go with that and enjoy the next two weeks until she starts chemo again.

the Cobeans

Cottage Bound

Hello all
This past weekend we spent at the family cottage near North Bay. Caitlyn and 3 of her friends, Emily, Tessa, and Alanna as well as Aunt Nancy, Trish Bernard, myself and her sister Bryanna went. The adults planted the flowers at the cottage while the girls just hung out. The weather allowed them to get in swimming!! The bugs were fairly bad though, as noted by Caitlyn's head!
The pains in her stomach have improved and her appetite is almost back to normal. She is definitely feeling much better. She is back in full swing with physio and occupational therapy.
School is winding up so Caitlyn is attempting to go to school a bit. Her grade 8 trip to Niagara Falls is this Friday and grad is in just over 2 weeks. Both of which she is looking forward to.
We don't have to go back to Toronto until next week for an eye appointment and a check up on her foot. Then the 24th of the month for another MRI and the 28th to start chemo again.
Well, we will keep you posted and hopefully there will be nothing more to report this month, then the fun that will happen with the last month of grade 8!!!!

Rona

May 30th

Hello all
Things are looking up. After a week and a bit of feeling absolutely lousy Caitlyn is on the mend again! (we hope we aren't jinking ourselves). She is down a few pounds from not being able to eat for the last couple of weeks. She is back to eating but not a great amount. Her energy is definitely lower but should improve now that she is eating and feeling better.
We attended the Cops for Cancer tournament at Saugeen Golf Course this weekend. What a great day! Caitlyn and Bryanna came for the dinner (not that Caitlyn ate) and Caitlyn was able to shave off one of the local police officers.
Caitlyn also attended the high school on Monday for a shave off of Victoria Bertrand and Becki Angel. These two girls shaved off their long hair in honour of Caitlyn and at the same time raised over $2000 for Cancer research. What a great job girls!!
Caitlyn was able to attend school for this afternoon but is a bit tired tonight. She will be starting back with physio and occupational therapy tomorrow, she has been off the last 2 weeks because she has been feeling so unwell.
She now has a rest until June 28th when she has the next chemo, so we are going to enjoy each of those days.

The Cobeans

2nd Round of Chemo

Hello all
Caitlyn has had a bit of a rough time with round 2 of her chemo. She started the second round started last Thursday night and ended on Monday night. During that time she felt pretty lousy. She has had very little appetite and ended up in emerg on Sunday with a severe stomach pain. She was started on a medication for her stomach which has decreased the pain slightly. Then on Monday night when getting ready for bed she had a fever, so back to emerg again. That time she had bloodwork and a chest xray which both turned out alright. The fever broke and we were home by 1:45am. No real good reason for the fever other than possibly??? a reaction to dehydration. Anyway she is feeling somewhat better today. She is starting to eat a bit more and no more fever. If only the stomach pain would leave!!!!
Well there is 5 weeks off now in order to recoup!! We will keep you posted.

the Cobeans

Meagan's Walk

Hello all!
We spent Mother's Day in Toronto, surrounded by many friends and family participating in Meagan's Walk. What a great time!! Thank you to all who make the trek to Toronto with us and those who sponsored us or someone on our team!! There was 43 members on Team Caitlyn. Meagan's Walk is a fundraiser for Pediatric Brain Tumour Research. This was the 6th year running and would have made it over the 1 million dollar mark. Our team was able to collect a little over $5000.
Caitlyn had a great week last week. She went to school on Wed and Fri. Her strength and stamina was up. Her right side is coming well, and she is starting to be able to pick coins up now with a bit of work which is great to see, but starting to be a little expensive because when she picks them up we don't generally see them again. Now today she is extremely tired but to be expected after this past weekend!! All of us are tired, no wonder she is!!
Now we head to Toronto on Thursday of this week as this is the 6 week mark and she starts chemo again. She will be taking it for 5 days ending Monday night. We will keep you posted as to how she is feeling during it.
Thanks again to all our great friends out there who are always cheering us on!!!

The Cobeans

Another check up

Hello all
We have returned from Toronto, once again. Caitlyn had an appointment yesterday with the neurosurgeon (doc that did the biopsy) and with oncology (chemo doc). The neurosurgeon was happy with her incision and we don't need to see him again in clinic but said he is there if we need him.
The oncologist just needed to see her yesterday as she is coming off the steriod and they wanted to make sure she was okay. She will be finished with the steriod on Thursday which means she will be done with the Zantac to protect her stomach from the steriod. All in all she will be down to 6 pills a day from approx 20 a day. She has had a couple of headaches over the last week but we were told yesterday that this is part of going off the steriods not anything related to the tumour.
Her blood counts are still low but her white blood cells (for fighting infection) is on the up swing now. Her platelets (for blood clotting) are still low but nothing to be concerned about yet.
She is back to school part time again. She has physio 3 days a week and finds those days to be tiring so she is trying to go the other 2 days. She is very excited to be able to go to school and be a kid again, not to mention that in grade 8 there is too many fun things to do. Her physio is going well and her leg and arm is getting stronger.
Thanks again for the support and love we are receiving from this great community!!!!

Rona

April 22

Hello all
Things are going well here. Caitlyn is still having physio/occupational therapy 3 times a week which is proving to be a great benefit to her right side. Her hand is becoming more and more useful and her walking has improved. The extremely nice weather this weekend certainly helped also as she was out playing basketball, baseball and on the trampoline (with help). All of these are helping her regain the strength in that right side.
She was feeling well enough to go to school this week, but her White blood cell count was low making her more susceptible to infection so I kept her at home, much to her dismay. She found it a little boring! Thanks to friends and family to help keep her company when we were at work.
We are going back to Toronto on Tuesday of this week as she has testing all day on Wednesday for a neuropsychological assessment which will assess her needs for school. Then we are back down to Toronto again the following Monday for an appointment with her neurosurgeon and her oncologist.
Well best go and thanks again for all the prayers and help thus far, it is certainly helping!!!

Thanks
Rona

April 16th

Hello all
All is going well here at home. Caitlyn finished her first round of chemo last Monday night. She faired well from it. She was more nauseated from this round and laid around for the weekend, but is feeling better now. She now has 37 days off of chemo and is having blood taken weekly, which last weeks was still very good and all within the normal range.
She went to school last Friday for the afternoon which went well, then went to the show and to a friend's house. She slept alittle more to make up for it but had fun while doing it. She is planning on going to school a bit more this week and we are in the process of getting some things in place to help her out with her school work.
Physio and occupational therapy is continuing and going well. She has weakness on the right side of her body so is exercising and strengthening the leg and arm.
Thank you to all who have supported us so far in pledges and joining us in Meagan's walk in Toronto on May13th to raise money for pediatric brain tumour research.

Until next time
The Cobeans

Update on Appointment

HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!
We were at Sick Kids yesterday for Caitlyn's MRI and check up. The MRI was to assess the tumour since the radiation and 1st round of chemo. The tumour has SHRUNK!!!!!!!! and the swelling of her brain is completely gone. The doctors were quite pleased. Now we can get her completely off the steroid that she has been on!!
So last night was her first night of the second round of chemo. The chemo she is taking is in pill form, so we just administer it to her here at home. She takes it for 5 days then will have 37 days off. This 6 week cycle will repeat then, 5 more times. That will take us until December or so but that is okay if it keeps it at bay. They will be doing a MRI every 3 months to assess the tumour, but so far so good!!!!!
Certainly put a smile on all of our faces!!!! :)
On another note, there is a Walk being held in Toronto on Mother's Day to support BRAIN child which is an organization for brain tumour children and their families. This event is an enormus fundraiser for brain tumour research. We are forming a team to attend this event, so if anyone is interested in attending with us, please email us at cobeanclan@bmts.com . There is a website to explain this walk a bit better and it is www.meaganswalk.com
Thank you to all of you for all the ongoing support and prayers you have gave us.

The Cobeans

April 2nd

Hi all
Here we are home from Disney. What a trip!!!!!!!!!! We were at a theme park everyday. Most days didn't start until 11 am and we were back to the resort by 5 pm for a nap. We had a great time!! The Children's Wish foundation had everything planned and made the trip a wonderful experience. What a great group of people at the Wish foundation. A great big thanks to Angela and Sarah at the Children's Wish Foundation for providing our family with such a great experience.
Caitlyn is doing well. She was tired from the trip but she did nap most days while we were there. She has a cold right now which is making her even more tired. We are hoping that it is better by Thursday when she goes back to Sick Kids for a MRI and a follow up with the oncologists to start her on the next round of chemo. Yes, it has been 4 weeks since she finished her radiaiton, and it is hard to believe. This time the chemo will effect her blood counts and make her more suseptible to infection.
She returned to school prior to Disney for a couple of part days, but she is not likely to go to school this week, as we really want this cold to clear up. She also met with physio and occupational therapy this morning so she will be starting this week with that and hopefully regain her strength in her right side.
So best go and will update all after the visit this week.

Rona

March 19

Hi All!
Here we have been home for 10 days and loving it! Caitlyn is doing well. Still tired but not quite as much as before. She spent the March Break just hanging out. She went to a scrap booking class one day and to her sister's hockey tournament in Mitchell on Thursday to Saturday, spending some time in the hotel with the team.
Well today she went to school all day (a little tired after school but nothing a 2 hour nap wouldn't help).
We are currently on her 4 week break from treatment and are trying to decrease her Decadron (for the swelling in her brain). We are currently down to 4 mg a day from 12 mg a day when she finished treatment. She will be having a MRI sometime in the next 2 1/2 weeks and has a follow up appointment on April 5th to assess the tumour and to start her on the next round of chemo.
We are currently counting down the sleeps until Disney world also and everyone is very excited.
Well we will update the blog following the trip to Disney to let everyone know all about it!!!
Talk soon
The Cobeans

March 9

Hi all
Caitlyn is done!!! Her first round of chemo finished last Sunday night and her radiation finished on Wednesday!! We stayed in Toronto until today as she had an appointment yesterday with oncology and today with her orthopedic doctor (who fused her ankle in December), then we headed home in the sunshine.
She is feeling much the same, tired! But very excited to be home for a change. She has a follow up on April 5th with oncology and she will have a MRI prior to that to assess the tumour. If all is well, she will start into the next round of chemo which she can do here at home.
Caitlyn is now looking forward to her trip to Florida from the Children's Wish Foundation that we will be taking later this month before she starts the next round.
So, all is well, and we are glad to be home and a family again. It will take some adjusting again! Thank you everyone for all the emails, entries on her blog and calls, they all helped to make the last 7 weeks go by quickly!
Thanks again
The Cobeans

March 2

Hi all
Here we are with only 3 radiation treatments left! Hard to believe that we have been here 6 weeks already!
Caitlyn is doing well still. Tired! She has been to physiotherapy and occupational therapy this week for the weakness on her right side. The weakness is subtle and as Caitlyn looks back she believes that the leg weakness has been there all along, but with being in a cast on the left leg it was hard to assess until she got the cast off. The feeling is starting to come back with the excerises and the massaging of the leg and arm.
The doctors are starting to decrease her Decadron (steriod for the swelling in her brain) again. The hope is to get her off them completely, but this is going to be a gradual process. The doctor is impressed though, with the little weight gain that she has had during all these steriods which usually increase your appetite and cause weight gain.
Caitlyn will be finishing this round of chemo on Sunday and radiation will be over on Wednesday. She will then have four weeks off from treatment and will start into the next round after that, which involves being on chemo for 5 days every 6 weeks for 6 rounds. This chemo is going to be by mouth again, therefore we can complete that at home with regular visits to Sick Kids, but at least we will be home with the rest of the family.
Thanks again for all the comments, they certainly bring a smile to Caitlyn's face when she reads them.

The Cobeans

February 24

Hi all
Finally on again! I have been trying all week and actually had this blog written twice and the connection crashed just as I was ready to post it. One more try!
Caitlyn had a good week again. Only 8 radiation treatments left!!!! Far cry from the 33 that she started with. We have 2 more weeks left in the big T (as Caitlyn calls it). She is finding herself more tired as the weeks go on, but it really hasn't crushed her spirit. She is having a little trouble with her right hand and leg/foot that started last weekend. The doctors are wondering if it is due to the decrease in her Decadron (the steroid used to decrease the swelling in her brain) that they had done about 2 weeks ago. So this past Monday they increased it back up and the symptoms seems a little less. There is a possiblity also that it is caused by the radiation and will resolve after it is over. Anyway they have hooked her up with occupational and physiotherapy.
This past Wednesday night Caitlyn and I went to a Mississauga Aeros and Brampton Thunder game at the Powerade Center. Sami Jo Small, the goalie for the Aeros had invited her and arranged for her to meet 3 more of the Aeros and 3 of the Thunder players that are members of the National Women's Hockey team. What a great time! They gave her a stick, a couple of hats, and some autographed photos!!!
Then on Thursday, Emily, Alanna, and Tessa came down to Toronto with their mothers to celebrate Caitlyn's 14th birthday. We went shopping on Thursday and Friday looking for grad dresses. They were successful and had a good time.
Well hopefully this blog will go through and I will update again as soon as possible.
Rona

February 17th

Hello all
Sorry for the delay in entering on the blog. Our wireless internet connection at the Ronald McDonald house has not allowed me to get on to post a new entry.
The week went well. 20 radiation treatments down and 13 to go!!! She remains tired but her blood count remains good, so that is a plus.
Ronald McDonald house is great. Alot more room to roam in, and there is activities to do daily. Having a kitchen to cook in is wonderful too. There is even a school within the Ronald McDonald house that Caitlyn is likely going to attend while down there.
So we are home for the weekend to spend some time with Dad, Dylan and Bryanna. Sometimes the week seems long for both ends of the family.
This weeks excitement on the hockey scene was having an entry on the blog from Sami Jo Small and a phone call from Hayley Wickenheiser. Caitlyn also received several momentos from Hockey Canada and the Ontario Womens Hockey Association. All these have put a smile on her face.
Well, we will attempt to post again mid week providing the internet connection allows us.
Thanks for all the entries and emails received they all bring a smile to her face.

The Cobeans

February 11

Hello all
We made it home for the weekend. The sun came out on Friday and it was a beautiful drive home. Wow is there a lot of snow here!
Caitlyn has had a good weekend. She went to the public school on Friday and shaved her hair all off in front of her friends. But not before two good friends did the same, hats off (or hair off) to Rebecca McLean and Wendy Huys who shaved off with her. What a great support! Wendy has raised close to $1500 for Cops for Cancer. Why to go!!!
Saturday, Caitlyn went to her hockey game and sat on the bench with them. Good game girls. Then it was off to the show with some of her friends.
Today she had a big nap to make up for yesterday.
She has been feeling about the same, tired but otherwise, well. Caitlyn had a surprise phone call on Friday from Cassie Campbell, the captain of the Team Canada, womens hockey team that represented Canada at the Olympics in 2006 and 2002. What a thrill to talk to her!!!!!!
We are moving into the Ronald McDonald house tomorrow. Caitlyn is thrilled!! There will be activities to do now and people to meet.
Best go and get ready to leave tomorrow. Thanks for all the inspirational emails and comments on the blog. They are a boost!

Rona and Caitlyn

February 8

Hello again
WOW, what a response from the article in the Toronto Star. Thank you to Lois from the Toronto Star for such a nice article. It certainly put a smile on Caitlyn's face, as well as all the comments on the blog of inspiration and well wishes.
Caitlyn is doing very well. She is feeling good, other than tired which seems to be even getting a bit better. Basically we have been just attending her radiation appointments this week. Today, though, she has an appointment with her oncologist at Sick Kids after her radiation. This is a weekly visit when they check her blood counts. Her cousin Janet and her little boy Quinton is coming for a visit this afternoon which Caitlyn is looking forward to.
The shave off at the high school has been postponed until next Friday the 16th, due to the fact that our schools at home have been closed or no buses all week due to the snowstorms at home. By the way, the sun is shining here in Toronto. We have almost forgot what snow looks like!!! Caitlyn is planning on shaving her head tomorrow at her class, though, weather permitting. Caitlyn's hair will not wait until next week as it is falling out continually.
She is excited yet slightly nervous about shaving her head tomorrow. The wig is ready as is the winter hat!
Well, thank you to all who have sent comments to Caitlyn and our family through the blog, it is certainly nice to read them all.

Rona and Caitlyn

February 5

Hello everyone
Here we are starting week 3, day 11 of 33, she is 1/3 of the way there. We are still at the Day's Hotel. We have been trying since Jan 16th to get into the Ronald McDonald house. The Day's hotel is starting to feel like home. Isn't that terrible!!!
Caitlyn is feeling good. Still a little tired, but nothing a hour and a half or two hour nap a day won't fix. She is starting to loose her hair and hoping to still have some for Friday's shave off at the high school. She had an appointment today with her neurosurgeon, as her 4 week check up. He was happy with everything and will see her again in 8 weeks as another follow up.
Caitlyn had a great weekend. Thankfully we went to Sarnia for Bryanna's hockey tournament because I am afraid if we had of went home we would still be stuck there with the big storm. No, we are not missing all the snow. Caitlyn and I drove from Sarnia this morning. The weather was not bad until Mississauga. White outs on the 401 and the 427 can prove to be scary, but we are here. Caitlyn didn't even know it was snowing because she slept most of the way here.
We received a call while in Sarnia on the weekend from a sports reporter from the Toronto Star. They want to do an article on Caitlyn and the benefit hockey game. This reporter was in awe as we talked to her about it. Anyway, the article is to be in tomorrow's Toronto Star.
Anyway nothing more really happening, but will update later this week.

Rona and Caitlyn

February 1

Hello everyone
Hard to believe this all started on January 1 and we are now one month into it. This past month flew by.
Caitlyn is feeling better, a little less tired and stronger everyday. She had a check up with the chemo doctor today who told us her MRI of her spine was clear and her bloodwork today was perfect. Two pieces of good news!!!
Yesterday was another good day, we went down Younge street to a wig shop that we spied last week. Walked in for a consult and to see what they had, as we had the name of a few other shops and we found one that was perfect. Caitlyn is so excited to have found one. Again, thanks to the community, for making the purchase of this wig for her easier.
Well not much more to report but we have got 2 weeks in after tomorrow, and one week from today we will be almost half way through.
Well best go for now.
Rona

January 30th

WOW what a party!!!!!!!! What an experience walking into the Plex last Friday night and seeing the number of people there to support us!!!! It certainly warms the heart to believe that we are part of the world's best community! Where do you start to thank people? A large thank you goes out to the organizers and those who worked at the event. A huge thank you for the great idea and all the hard work put into it. Thank you is not enough for those fine young gentlemen who put their hearts and soles out to Caitlyn when they shaved off their locks! That meant the world to Caitlyn, and now she no longer has a fear of going bald. "Why would I be scared now, there is at least 20 other kids in town that are bald!" Also a huge thank you to those who attended and/or donated, it certainly makes it easier to be down here and not worry about work and paying the bills, both at home and down here.
Now to Caitlyn. She ended up in Southampton hospital on Saturday until Sunday am with a seizure. The docs down here said they are not surprised that she seizured, her brain is "angry" with the radiation and the tumour. They have started her on another drug for the seizures that is causing her to be very sleepy but we have been assured that this will subside with time and we are presently trying to change the time of day that I give it to her til night time so the ill effects will be when she is sleeping.
Her spirits are still good and her first question after seizuring was, "I don't have to stop the radiation, do I?" The answer being no! So back to the grind stone yesterday with the radiation. She now has 7 in and 26 to go.
The chemo, really doesn't seem to be giving her any ill effects. She takes it at night and I guess if there is any ill effects, they are when she is sleeping.
She is just really tired and has now allotted a couple of hours per day for naps!!! Best medicine is a sleep!
Well better go and we will be back on later.
Thanks again and a huge community hug from the Cobeans

Rona

January 25

Hello there

This is Rona posting this time. Our internet connection has been very poor and Caitlyn has lost a few posting and is now a little frustrated. Apparently the strength of the signal decreases the higher up in the building. We are on the 20th floor and I just came up with a brillant idea of coming to the lobby. So far so good.

Everything is going well here. Caitlyn is feeling well, but a little tired! As Caitlyn said in one of the blogs that she lost that Radiation is like having an xray and Chemo is like taking Tylenol.

Radiation: 4 down and 29 to go. She had more headaches Monday and Tuesday but they told us to expect that. Yesterday and today, better though. I have posted a picture of her on the radiation table with her mask on that we took this morning.

Chemo: She takes it in pill form before bed at night. So far feels fine with it, but they also have her on some gooooood anti nausea pills. Thank god for a good drug plan as these meds are several thousands of dollars for a month.

Ronald McDonald house: no luck yet. Although we have moved up the waiting list and hopefully will be in next week some time. We are currently staying at the Days Hotel which is close by and has a very reasonable hospital rate. Though it will be nice when we are in the RM house and we can cook our own meals, the toaster oven in the room is just not cutting it.

Caitlyn has not been too bored this week. She has had several appointments and Julie, Ryan and Hayden came down on Tues night, for appointments at Sick Kids on Wed. For those who don't know the connection, Julie is Caitlyn's cousin and their son has numerous appointment and connections with Sick Kids.

Caitlyn has had some exciting experiences in TO this week. She rode in a cab and rode the subway today, which was extremely exciting. "Bruce County comes to the city!!!"

Caitlyn is so looking forward to the hockey game on Friday night, in fact she is currently napping with anticipation. Each time we talk to someone from home we are hearing that it is bigger and bigger! We are extremely overwhelmed with the generousity of our wonderful home town. There is definitely something to say about living in a small town and not a sole in the world will tell us any different.

We really want to thank everyone who has helped us out in any way since January 1st. It certainly makes it easier to deal with a medical problem like this.

Well thanks again, and we are looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow night.

Thanks

Rona

January 22nd

Heyy everyone!! Today was the first day of treatments. It was a very long day a lot of things to do. I went for my radiation and it was at 10:15 but they werent expecting me to be coming til 4:00 but then they squeezed me in at like 11:30. So for the radiation they just take u into the room and put the blanket on u and then they give u the cute little cuddly bunny and then they put the movie on for u to watch (shrek 2) and then they put the mask on and then they just leave and u lay there for like 10 minutes and then they come in and then u leave and go home. (it is really boreing). Then we went to a bunch of little things we met this one doctor and we met this other lady who was doing another study (the forth one). Then we talked to other people and then my parents are also in another study about somthing to do to do with genetics so today my parents had to have a blood test today which made me very excited so i had to watch them get their blood tests! Then we had to do like a ton of other things that were really boring and then we finally went back to the hotel. Then we went down to the lobby then we ate supper and now i am sitting in my room and i think i am gonna go to the pool soon. Well i am feeling pretty normal. I havent taken the chemo medicine yet but i dont have to take it until i am ready to go to bed cuz it will make me sick maybe and it will also make me tired. Well i better go to the pool and then i will have to get back to take my pills. I am looking forward to seeing everyone on friday night and i cant wait!! Well i am going to go to the pool and i cant wait to see everyone but i gtg now!! If anyone has any questions about the radiation or the chemo just leave them in the comment box. I am also supposed to say hi to Breton and also to Mr. G-dawg lol breton.

In toronto:( January 18th

Heyy everyone!! Im back in toronto again but im just here for the night, i should be home around lunch tomorrow depending on the weather. I am just sitting on my bed, there is a helicopter going over our head right now getting ready to land and it is really loud. So today we just went to the hospital to talk to the doctor about my headaches but he said that they should be fine and we will still be starting radiation on monday and chemo (so they changed my meds and my headaches are a lot better). Today i was just supposed to go to see the doctor but then they decided it would be easier to do the blood work today rather then on monday so i had blood work that really hurt. Tomorrow i am just going over to st.michaels to get my cast off and talk to the doctor about how long i will have my walking cast on and then we should be on the way home as long as the roads are ok. So i hope to see everyone soon and i will be home for the weekend before heading back down here.
Caitlyn!
p.s. did i mention that i am extremely excited to be getting my cast off tomorrow and i can hear sirens now and i am scared lol better go

January 17th

Today I has been pretty normal just sat at home and did arts and crafts and went on the compueter and read magazines the whole day. I just had to go to southampton at around 8:00am today for blood work which was very painful because they needed to check my dilantin lavels since i have been so tired. I am coming to school tomorrow probably for the frirst three periods (math and english) and then i am going home and then heading to toronto to talk to the doctor on thursday about me being so tired (i think) and then i am going to stay at the hotel and then go to get my cast off in the morning and then i will be home. (if i am home early enough i am going to go to the vollyball tourney for a while). Then i will be home for the whole weekend and then i think we are going back on sunday night and i will have my first treatment on monday. I probably tell u the same things like everyday but i always forget what i told u so i tell u again. Mostly the only interesting thing that happened today was getting blood taken and it rele hurt and i am going to be getting blood work like once a week!well i have to go back to doing nothing since i am so busy!
byeexo
caitlyn

Yahhh! The blog works again!

I'm so happy now because I was trying to figure out my blog and it was being retarded and now it is working and i am extremely excited (can u notice?) So I am going down on friday to get my cast off and have the MRI just to make sure that nothing travelled down to my spine and then i will be coming home again on friday night. Then i will be going on either sunday night or monday morning to start treatments on monday. We are trying to stay at the ronald mcdonald house (and no emily u dont get free fries) but we probably wont be able to get in for a few days so we are going to probably stay at this place called the residence that is across from the hospital. I hope we only have to stay there for a little while there though. We will be home this weekend and then we will be home every weekend after that! Well i dont really have a lot of updates mostly just normal life for this week. I am coming to school for part of the day on thursday. Well i better go, if u have any questions that i havent answered just ask in the comment box! Thanks everyone and i appreciate all of the support from everyone!
Thanks everyone! Caitlyn!xo

At home again!! Jan.12th

I'm home again!!! Just got back on wednesday but then we had to go back down to Toronto again today:( for an MRI, a CT scan and to meet with the radiology oncologist (dont ask what that is they just do the radiology). So we got home on wednesday and we have to go down next friday for a MRI on my spine just to make sure that it didnt go down into my spine (even though they are pretty sure it didnt). Also on next friday I will be going to St.Michaels to get my cast of!!!:) Then we will be coming back home just to turn around and go back down to toronto on the monday to start the radiology and chemo treatments. For radiology it is just like an x-ray where u go in and the put the mask on your head and u just sit still for about 5 minutes (i no a bit of a challenge for me!) then i will go to the rondald mcdonald house (my new home for six weeks) and stay there. For the chemo i just have to take a pill each night so it is fairly easy!! I just want thank everyone for your support and i will get through this it is just a little bump in the road, there is no point sitting here crying about it since that wouldnt help anything! I want to thank everyone for everything that u have all done for my family and me and helping us throught this. Also i just want everyone to know that i feel like the exact same person and i think that i look like the same person.Thank u all for everything and continue to check my blog for updates, i will try to update it more often so u wont have to read so much at once!!

January 7

I got my IV out and my turban off my head the incision is about 10 cm long but they only shaved a small strip that long of my hair. I am free!!!!!
We went downstairs and got an Oreo sandwich and my parents got drumsticks. We then went outside for some fresh air but it was really cold so we only stayed out for a little while.
I think I am now going to go back to my room and sleep.
Talk later

January 6th

I got back to my room at 10:30. That is good because the other room was boring. Still my head doesn't hurt too much. Just the incision. I had a CAT scan of my head to check for swelling the lady that did it was from Ripley, I told her that our hockey team was playing Ripley today.
I have this awesome turban on my head. They couldn't find stickers in the Critical Care Unit so my mom drew flowers and my name on it with Sharpies. I got stickers when I got back to my room to put on my turban.
My mom and dad and me played Phase 10 which is a card game and even the day after surgery I kicked their butts.

January 5

Today is surgery day. Surgery was at 9:00 they biopsied it and sent it to the lab. We will know for sure on Monday or Tuesday. After the recovery room I went to the Critical Care Unit for the night. It was boring!!!! I was in a room with two babies. They didn't cry because they had breathing tubes in. This surgery didn't hurt as bad as my ankle surgery.
The guy that put me to sleep told me that the mask would smell like Canadian Tire and it did!!!!!!!

January 4th

Today I had my EEG they just hooked a bunch of wires to my head to see if I had a seizure on Monday or what that was. It doesn't look like a seizure to them, but they want to do a sleep deprived EEG next week, where I get to stay up all night and then they do it again when I am really tired.
The doctor told us that I am going to have surgery tomorrow, to do a biopsy but I need another MRI. It was at 11:30PM. I was tired and had to get up at 6:00 am to have a bath before surgery.
Still having no headaches and feeling perfectly fine.

January 3rd

Today we got here at sickkids at 12:30, feeling fine probably wouldn't even know anything was wrong. Basically just met the nurses and doctors and got into my room.