It's all good

I could not have asked for more. I was so nervous about how Mandy would handle the new clinic again. She went for a finger stick only a week ago and was a mess. We talked a whole lot about how some things might looks different(remember the melt down over the different finger stick needle a few months ago?)but that even if they looked differnt they would feel the same. She stepped right up and did GREAT!

It started on a good note. At our previous clinic, she had to do a finger stick and then have her port accessed. Mandy was THRILLED to find out she had no finger stick here!! SCORE!! That was a great way to get the ball rolling. She reports though the port access needle looked different that it hurt less. Well alrighty, then.

We premedicated with Benadryl and Hydrocortisone and had no allergic reaction. Woohoo!!! The steroid kicked in and the hunger followed. She single handedly filled the trash can in the infusion room. It looked like remains of a Frat party minus the beer cans. She ate her way through a full bag of apple dippers and a few chicken nuggets from McDonalds. Then she moved on...she ate three packs of M&M's, a small can of Pringles, a granola bar, a Pixie Stick, a bag of Cheez Its and a bag of animal crackers. I swear it was more than she has eaten since she started treatment, TOTAL! Not exactly healthy cravings, but at this point anything that gets calories in her makes me happy! She reminded me of the kids book, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar."

Jamie and Kyleen came from the Children's Cancer Center to say hello and drop off something. How incredibly awesome are they?! Mandy was happy to see them and immediately asked them to accompany her to the vending machine to replenish her supply of food. Poor ladies didn't know what they were getting into! We were walking back to the infusion room and Kyleen looks at me and says, "Have a few steroids today did we?" Uh, yea. Apparently. Honestly, she has lost 10% of her body weight since starting treatment, I was thrilled to see her eating that much of anything!

So, a roaring success. She was so brave and very herself. She worked through her nerves with a smile and a fist full of junk food. No allergic reaction, which is FABULOUS! It was a tremendously long day. We were at clinic from 9 am till 6 pm, but I could not have asked more from her. It was a tough day and she came through it with flying colors. All chemo days will be like that from now on, long days. The nurses were all great with her and Mandy really liked her nurse today, Sonya. She was a doll and could not have been better with Mandy's anxiety and put her at ease easily. We get to meet the neuro-oncologist next week.

So, there ya go. I get all worked up and it all went as smoothly as I could've dared hope for.

Thanks to all for the good wishes and thoughts and prayers for a nonallergic, smooth, easy transition day today! You guys rock!

Love to all~