MIMA'S STORY

27th March 2008

Look what Granpa bought for me!!! She is called Meggie.

Just A few thank you's

I had a fantabulous birthday and had lots of wonderful presents.

I would just like to say thank you to every body who very kindly bought me a present. I would like to say a special thank you to Max ,a lady who I don't even know but she always leaves me a message on my blog. Thank you very much Max for coming to Ward 27 and leaving such a lovely surprise for me when I went in today. Another big thank you to someone who always looks after me and manages to make me smile even when I am really grumpy. I love my book about sisters - you know who you are! Thank you. xx

We have had a busy day today which started off with a great morning dancing with Laura, Ella and Nisha. It was such fun and I would like to thank Lucy for organising it. I had a bag of platelets this afternoon and we are off to Scotland in the morning for three nights because I do not have to have any treatment for two weeks now - yippeeeeee!

Easter Sunday

DID YOU SEE THE SNOW?

When we woke up this morning, everywhere was white. It was sooooooo pretty. Digby lives outside, so when we let him out he was really funny, he was trying to catch the snowflakes and eat them. Then we let the chickens out and they were even funnier, I don't think they have ever seen snow before. They had laid us two eggs for our breakfast and the yolks were completely golden, yum scrum.

At riding yesterday, it was soooooooooo cold and it snowed and hailed and the wind blew so Mummy pulled us out of the class and decided it was not worth catching a cold so that was very sad because I do love riding (did you know that?) That was the first sad thing about the easter weekend. The next thing was that we were going to my Auntie Gillie's house for a big family party because it is cousin Emma, Uncle Matthew, Uncle William, Granny and my birthday all on Tuesday and we like to celebrate together but then Gillie rang to say that our cousin Rose was coming out in spots everywhere and it looked like chicken pox so we decided it would be best not to go!!! Soooooooooooooo sad!!! Then another thing happened. We had planned to go out for an early supper with some friends we met on holiday but they live in Devon and were up here sailing at Rutland Water. The racing was cancelled and they had to go home so we couldn't meet them either. What a nightmare weekend. Anyway, Granny and Papa came round for lunch today and we had some lovely roast beef although the gravy was not very nice and the meat was a bit chewy. Never mind.

I am in to hospital in the morning for another blood test (on Friday, my results were not very good and I am covered in bruises again) and the last lot of chemo in escalating capizzi II. I hope that my blood is still no good and then I won't have to have anymore methotrexate. When Dr Heaney looked inside my mouth on Friday he said 'ooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhh, that does look sore' so I begged him not to give me any more because it will just make my ulcers worse and it is my birthday (did you know that?).

Tuesday 18th March 2008

This is the Easter Bonnet Parade on Ward 27

I am at home today because my mouth is really ssssssssoooooooooooooorrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeee and my throught rrrrrrreeeeeeaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy hurts but still I really enjoyed the party and thank you to Charlotte Smiles! (That is the charity who organised and paid for the party) and to my special nurse Hannah for coming down in the parade with me! Mummy is being really boring because she is making the curtains for Emily's new bedroom today. I am trying to help her by telling her she is cutting the fabric in the wrong place but she doesn't believe me. Do you know what, I was right and now Emily's curtains are going to be too short!!!!

Katie has just rang up to tell me that I don 't have to have any chemotherapy on my birthday. (Katie is THE BEST!!! I know she reads this too!!!) Oh did I tell you it is my birthday next Tuesday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WEDNESDAY 12TH MARCH 2008

Blood test again today

I went to hospital this morning to have a blood test to see if I am ok to have a general anaesthetic tomorrow for my lumbar puncture and IT MTX (chemo into my spine). After I had my needle put in I don't really know what happened but one minute I was fine and then the next I felt all woozy and had to lie down. I couldn't talk and my eyes were blurry. It was really frightening and just like before when I had a seizure. The doctor came to see me, checked me over and said she could hear a slight murmur in my heart and when my line was flushed it could have caused the funny turn. Anyway, I stayed in the hospital for a few hours until I felt a bit better and then came home to bed.

I spent most of the day wondering what my blood results would be like and also worrying because the nurses had told me this morning that there was not an anaesthetist available to do the list in the morning. All a bit of a nightmare because I like to have it sorted in my mind when I am having a sleep and an LP. I found out this afternoon that my blood was ok and there is an anaesthetist so I will be nil by mouth from midnight. More Vincristine and IV MTX on Friday so I will feel horrid over the weekend!

I did see my old friend from the ward Asma this morning so that was really good, she has lots of curly hair! We are trying to arrange with her mum to come over for a sleepover in the easter holidays - yipeeeeee!

Sunday 9th March 2008

Well, I had my chemo last Tuesday and then my asparagus and mayonnaise on Wednesday then I was sick, sick, sick until Friday afternoon so no school for me! Luckily I felt much better by Saturday morning so I managed to go riding. Daddy took me this week because of Emily's choir competition and we went to the pub for lunch after riding but then Daddy wanted to watch Rugby all afternoon so I was a bit bored!
We had fun today though, I felt much much better and we went to the Fox and whatsit (we can never remember the name) in Knossington for lunch with Granny and Papa. I really love the beef they do there and huge yorkshire puddings and great roasties. I ate loads which was good because I haven't felt much like eating this week (don't tell Katie though because she will just put another nose tube in). I made two new friends Millie and Amelia and we played challenges on the monkey bars in the garden.
This week I have a blood test at home on Wednesday then a general anaesthetic on Thursday for IT MTX (into my spine), then IV MTX and some more Vincristine on Friday so another yuk week. Only one more dose of IV MTX and Vincristine after that though, the day before my birthday so I will be poorly then!!!!!
By the way, Emily's choir went through to the next round of the Choir of the Year competition so Well Done Stoneygate!!!

Tuesday 4th March 2008

I am very well and have been for a little while now. I had my blood test and Dr Donald tickled my tummy and my knees and ankles yesterday (that is what he has to do to check that everything is ok) and he said because I giggled alot that he thought I was very bright and cheerful. My blood results were good too so that meant that I could have the full dose of IV MTX and some Vincristine today. I don't mind, but it does make me really really sick. I take lots of anti-sickness tablets but they make you constipated, so then I take tablets for that too - yuk, yuk, yuk. I saw my friends in hospital today and we played a finding game on the computer together. We are also making easter bonnets because we have an easter party on the Ward very soon. My friend Georgia is in hospital at the moment and she didn't look very well at all. She has nearly finished her treatment but her body has decided it doesn't want anymore vincristine already and her kidneys have stopped working properly. Get better soon Georgia.

Did I tell you I was doing a drama exam? Well I took the exam on Saturday and had to stand up in front of a man and say poem called A Smile by Jez Alborough. Do you know, I passed with distinction. Not many people are surprised by that because they think I am a bit of a drama queen!

Asparagus and Mayonnaise in my leg muscle tomorrow at about 10 o'clock, so if you hear any very loud screaming, you will know what it is all about.

Emily and her senior choir are off to Warwick this weekend to take part in the Radio 3 choir competition so we are all going there on Saturday. Good Luck Stoneygate!!!

Sunday 24th February 2008

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY

I have had a really busy weekend. Yesterday, I bet you can't guess what we did in the morning??????? Yes, we went riding. It was great. I rode Snowy who was very well behaved and I cantered and jumped with him really well. Emily rode Roos who she is not too sure of but still had fun. Then we went to hospital for chemo. I had some more Vincristine and some IV methotrexate which took about an hour. Both Rubys were there so it was nice to see them and also Louis is still there and I always have fun with him. Big Ruby was very bored though because she was waiting for a blood transfusion and platelets which had to come from Sheffield. Sorry I couldn't stay to keep you company Ruby and I hope it all went ok in the end.

Today, I had a very lazy morning watching TV and lying around in bed. Daddy decided we should have roast pork for lunch today but we didn't really like it so won't be doing that again! Then I went to my friend Freya's 9th birthday party this afternoon. It was great fun and we dressed up like St Trinians girls and did a dance routine. I was one of the team leaders and loved it. Happy Birthday Freya.

I am very tired tonight so off to bed now. No treatment until next Monday and then some more Vincristine and IV Methotrexate until I reach toxicity!!! That will either be that my platelets or neutrophils are too low to have any more or my mouth and lips will be ulcered and blistered and I won't be able to have any more. I hope it will be my bloods are not good enough but last time I had to go into hospital because my mouth was so sore and I had to be on morphine! Yukkkkkk!!!

We heard some very sad news this week. My friend Tom from Ward 27 died. He had cancer in his bones and had already lost one of his arms. He was really good fun and always made me smile. He used to tell us all jokes and play bingo and lots of games at the hospital with us. I will really miss him. Bye Bye Tom.

One last thing. I keep forgetting to tell you that the chickens are laying! Not very often, but we have had 5 eggs now. Digby found the last two under a bush in the garden. He was so funny, he was really excited and started running around the garden then came to Daddy and put first one egg down on the floor very gently and then went to get another. Clever boy!!! Emily put them in her pocket and broke one!

Monday 18th February 2008

THE BEST WEEKEND EVER EVER EVER!!!!!

We made it to Dittisham to stay with Uncle Y'Ed, Nickety Aunt Nocs, Hattie, Max and Tilly Bom Bom and had just about the best holiday ever. I felt a bit poorly to start with but once I had all my anti sickness medicines I began to feel much better.

We did so much and the weather was fantastic. On Saturday, we went to a beach which was down a really long pretty lane and when we got there there was nobody on the beach. Daddy and Uncle Ed cooked moules and they were delicious and it was such fun. We all went on an adventure over the rocks and then made a dam in the sea and Tilly and I made a boat to play in!

We did lots of crabbing and you would not believe how many crabs we caught. Then we let them all go and they had a race to the sea.

It was a really cool weekend. Kerching!!!

TILLY AND ME IN OUR SAND BOAT WE MADE ON THE BEACH

DADDY AND UNCLE ED COOKING MOULES

EM AND ME ON THE FERRY TO DARTMOUTH

HATTIE, MAX, TILLY, EM, DADDY AND ME ON THE FERRY

Monday 11th February 2008

Well the good news is that my neutrophils have gone right up to 1.1 so I can start the next block of treatment tomorrow. This is another 9 week block called Escalating Capizzi and it is the 2nd time I have done this one. Last time I spent alot of time in hospital and had the brain seizure so we are not looking forward to it much!

This also means though that after I have some asparagus and mayonnaise on Thursday we are so excited because we are going to Devon to see Uncle y'Edward, Auntie Nic-Nocs, Hattie, Max and Tilly. Yippeee, yippee, yippeeeeee!!!!!

We have had a great day today. We met Philly philpot, Rabbi, Guy and Misha and went for a bike ride through Burghley Park to the Sculpture garden. We kept hiding from Mummy and Philly and had a real laugh. In the end Digby found us and told Mummy where we were!!!

The chickens are all fine but have not laid an egg yet. I bet they will lay one for my breakfast tomorrow because I will be nil by mouth and won't be able to have it!