Hi All,
I have been meaning to write this week to give an update. Teagan is currently in the chamber getting oxygen and once she gets out we are headed to the airport to come home for the weekend. She has her last treatment on Monday so we will fly back Sunday evening and then come back home for good on Monday after her last treatment. Had to get home this weekend for Judd's first tball game with Dad coaching as well as our first fundraiser for Sweet Tea Cancer Connections at the Fairwood Golf & Country Club. There is also a twilight this weekend so will get my first break in two months to golf and be with friends!
I have to start by telling you how well Teagan is doing! Her energy level continues to improve and and her language also is continuing to explode! Last night we were downstairs eating dinner with the friends we made here and she asked her friend Emma if she wants to play the piano with her. This seems pretty normal but it's a big deal for our little girl to initiate social interactions using full sentences. Don't get me wrong she would always get the message across previously given how social she is but using full sentences is a big deal. On Wednesday at arts and crafts, she went up to a boy and said, "My name is Teagan. What's your name?" Again, normal typical kid like interactions that continue to be a big deal for us!
In fact, we are hoping to have her begin preschool in the next couple weeks. She will likely only get in a few weeks before summer but the desire for her to socialize is so strong I figure why not start her. We had originally planned on her starting last fall before she got radiation necrosis so it's really exciting to still be able to have her start as we originally planned (even if for only a few weeks). She will get to go to a special needs preschool she qualified for which is located at the same school as Judd. We got her a new pink Paw Patrol backpack and lunch bag which she picked out and she is extremely excited!
Teagan does still struggle with balance and cannot walk independently still. This is something that ever since waking up from brain surgery she has struggled with as she previously used to be able to walk independently. No doctors will give us false promises which I respect. We will continue to work on this and are even more hopeful now that she has the energy and stamina to begin to build more muscle and make gains. We never ever will lose hope here!
In packing up our stuff and cleaning out our apartment for the next family to come in, it has invoked a lot of thought. Honestly, this whole experience invokes thought. How could it not? Previous to this I had never experienced being away from home while my daughter was receiving treatment. This experience has opened even further my empathy box for families impacted by cancer. Being at this house and making friends with new families who are currently in the midst of treatment and their fight brought up a lot of emotions. Having gone through treatment with Teagan and knowing the struggle and pain it involves and then seeing others in the thick of it was hard to sit with. The human desire to help other human beings with a story similar to yours and yearning for the right thing to say or do can be a struggle. Cleaning our apartment and wondering what family will be in here next, how old the child will be, and what type of cancer they might have. The mind goes wild with wonder rooted in a deep empathy for these people we don't even know but can literally feel their pain. The love this journey pulls out of me from places I didn't even know existed continues. Not a bad thing. Not a bad thing at all.
Teagan will be getting out of the chamber soon.....so what's next. We don't know what will come next. One never does with cancer. We just hope for the best. What we do know is that on the 21st of May Teagan has a full MRI to check for evidence of disease. Then on the 23rd with meet with her Radiation Oncologist as apparently these will be additional appointments we have now with her new diagnosis of radiation necrosis. We also will be checking her thyroid when we first get back as her levels have continued to be low so we will hopefully learn more about this.
What we do know is we will not take a second for granted at home as a family! I have always loved being home with our family but now so even more. What we do know is Teagan gets to be back home in her own bed and play with Judd in their playroom. What we do know is our family gets to enjoy the ordinary days together. What we do know is Teagan, thanks to this therapy, has received a ton of healing to her entire body which has left her with more energy than I have seen her have since before diagnosis. This I will take........all of it! Life is good!
P.S.
*If you have not see the post on FB, Teagan was featured on CBS news here in Denver.
Here is the link if you would like to watch:
http://denver.cbslocal.com/2018/05/02/toddler-healing-treatment-denver/
*If you are interested in learning more about the STCC fundraiser we are doing with glassybaby, here is the link:) People can make purchases online with our "sweettea" code if they are not able to show up in person. Perfect Mother's day gift that also goes to a great cause for STCC and glassbaby (founder of glassybaby is a 3 time cancer survivor herself).