WOW!! It has been awhile

The time flies by when I am at home and playing.

I was accepted into Pre-Kindergarten so I get to start school in a couple weeks. I am so excited and cannot wait to ride the school bus every morning with my boys. I get up everyday and ask mommy, 'do I go to school today?' Mommy says that she hopes that I get into Mrs. Tricia and Mrs. Rachelle's class like Nic.

I am feeling great! Which is great because for a couple weeks there, I was feeling really bad and had fevers back to back. The doctors said that they were viruses but each one made me sicker even though my counts were good. I ended having to have a spinal tap, my second, and I fought and fought the doctor and nurses even though they gave me the silly medicine. They think that I don't know when they have something planned but I always do. My six month scans are in a couple weeks so I get to ride in the doughnut again which I like but they never let me see the pictures even though I ask to.

After those back to back fevers, I have not been sick at all. I have be finding trouble anyway I can so I have a few bumps and bruises. My boys and I are building forts almost everyday and mommy is letting us build one in the livingroom!! Also, I have been cutting my hair off in clumps. Mommy gets so angry with me about it but I keep telling her that I just don't want it. Papa wants me to come to the shop and will cut it for me to fix what I did. Maybe mommy will let me...

Till next time, hugs and kisses to everyone!

Amelya

UGH....Fever!

hi everyone!

I am unfortunately in the hospital with fever. It began Thursday night and I came in to the hospital to be admitted on Friday. I have had 4 more fevers since being admitted so now I am on 2 antibiotics and they are doing second rounds of cultures and have added a couple more tests. I am in good spirits and have had mommy play Break the Ice with me as many times as I can which keeps me happy. I keep breaking the ice but the reward for the winner is two kisses so I guess I win no matter what. We are in my favorite room with the view of the tennis courts and the Zoo. My friend Jeanne-Avery is here as well with fever so we have been chatting when we both feel up to it. I have to stay till I go 24 hours without fever. The doctors told mommy the only reason I had to come in was because I still have my port and it could be infected but, when my port is out, I do not have to come straight here anymore but can stay local.

I have my 3 month scans on Monday so fingers crossed that all is still well and I can get clearance to go to Pre-Kindergarten in August. I am really excited about that! I want to ride the school bus with my boys. Also, GREAT NEWS!!, I was taken off my low fat lactose free diet and placed back on regular food with the exception of having to drink only 2%milk instead of whole. So things are getting closer and closer back to normal.

hugs and kisses,

amelya

Happy Mother's Day

Here are some pictures of me and 'my boys' smiling for momma!

'happy mudders day ma-me, you so boo-t-ful!'

Pagent Queen

On May 2 I went to the 2010 Spring Miss Pagent in Springfield. I was given an Honorary Title but got to participate by dancing with some of the contestants and posing in front of the judges during the interludes in between age groups. I had a BLAST!! I just lit up in front of the judges that said I could have competed. With the crown and sash I won I also won free entry into the next pagent and a photo shoot with a top local pagent photographer for my beauty shots that are used in the photogenic category. I cannot wait till October when I can compete with the friends I made Sunday. In the picture of me dancing the little girl with me is my new best friend; her name is Sunny and she won the age group that I am in.

CureSearch Walk

On Saturday May 1 we participated in the new Orleans leg of the CureSearch Walk. This is a fundraiser walk that honors all those that are fighting childhood cancer, have survived childhood cancer or have lost their battle with childhood cancer. The organization holds these walks all across the United States. Each team dresses up in some manner to set themselves apart from the other teams. I got my face painted and glittered and had a guy dressed up like Spider-Man made me a balloon puppy dog. I was honored with a medal and got to lead the walk around Audubon Park with some other kids. As you can guess, I choose to dress like a princess with a crown and all. I stopped along the way to take pictures in a tree that afterwards I tried to climb in my long dress. I had so much fun there and want to do it again next year.

Happy Easter

Hippity-Hoppity, Happy Easter to everyone!!

I hope you all have a great holiday! I send my love to you all. I am in the hospital today but considering this long road, this is my first holiday 'on the inside' so I guess I am blessed!

Hopefully I get to leave this afternoon.

All is wonderful with me outside of this recent sickness and I have been playing more than I can handle and cheering my brothers on at baseball. My hair is about an inch or so long and is growing back in blond and curly, who knew!?! Pictures soon to follow.

hugs and kisses,

Amelya

and the verdict is...

The doctors have came down with a decision for me and it is NO MORE CHEMOTHERAPY, yay!!!! I do not have to take anymore of that stuff. I do have to go back every three months for scans to watch the tumor left and check for any new growths. Now, depending on the scans, I get to start Pre- K in the fall, hopefully at least part-time.

hugs and kisses,

amelya

Photo montage!

drumroll please............

Good News!! The biopsies all came back with NO VIABLE CELLS. The pathologist only found dead cancer cells and scar tissue in the samples he tested. The doctor says that it is not 100% but she feels comfortable with these results based on the tissue structure as well as its composition. I am going to get a CT scan Tuesday to check on the placement in specific to the position of the tumor inside and my ureter. I am having some issues and the doctor wants to find out how much of it is to blame from the tumor and how much is to blame because of damage made by the Chemotherapy and Radiation. I may not even have to have any follow up Chemotherapy which makes my momma and daddy happy. So in the next few weeks I will find out the next step from here but I must say that ---- I am a Rhabdomyosarcoma SURVIVOR!

hugs and kisses

Amelya

Checking in....

I made it through my biopsy like it never happened. Well, actually, since I was sleeping I guess it did not happen. I woke up from anesthesia really well ( I did grumble my anger about not being told about having to go to sleep) and was calm and within minutes was happy and giving hugs away. The radiologist said that he got 4 good core samples for the pathologist to test. He told us that it should take only a couple days to get results. I have a clinic appointment on Friday to get the results.

Fingers crossed!

hugs and kisses,

Amelya

CT Guided Biopsy

Today is my CT guided biopsy on the golf ball sized tumor that is left. I am a little scared even though momma keeps telling me that I am going for a ride in the doughnut to take "big" pictures. I know that there is more than that to it today. I am being real shy but momma and daddy and me are listening to music and I am calming down and singing along.

Be in prayer for me and I send to all of ya'll hugs and kisses

Amelya

D-Day Anniversary

Today marks one year since I have been diagnosed with cancer. I am not feeling well right now because I am having a reaction on my face that has caused a bad irritation and is real painful.

I got a date for my CT guided biopsy-- it will be on Wednesday February 10 at 9 am, so please be in prayer that all goes well and without any complications.

My momma got me a really cool gift today. She bought me a set of press on nails and I LOVE THEM!!! They are pink with flowers on them.

hugs and kisses to everyone!

amelya

New Path

Hello to everyone! I am doing well right now just playing with my dolls and roughing around with my brothers when they get home from school. I do not know if they let me win or if I am just that tough.

As of right now I am not going to have surgery because the doctors feel that they can get a more accurate assessment of my tumor with a CT guided Biopsy. It has my momma and daddy a little scared because I will still be under anesthesia for a hour. I hate not being able to control everything that is going on but maybe I will wake up and not be too angry.

I do not know yet when I am doing this but just know soon. Momma told me that I am going to have more pictures and that I get to ride through the 'doughnut' again which I like to do. The techs there always give me a handful of stickers when I get done. I LOVE STICKERS!

Please pray for a friend of mine from Children's Hospital. We met at the Hope Lodge while I was getting radiation. Adrianna was very nice to me and she needs our prayers as she gets closer to becoming an angel.

hugs and kisses to everyone,

Amelya

Meet the New Surgeon

Tomorrow we will meet my new surgeon. He is going to talk to momma and daddy about my biopsy surgery. The plan is to go in and take as many samples as they can of the tumor left and then have a pathologist study them so we will know if there are any live cancer cells there and if so where the concentration is so as to maybe make a better rescission surgery plan. The doctors really want to get this tumor out of me but do not want to do anything that will cause me long term damage. So my options are no more chemotherapy, if the tumor is dead; a different chemotherapy if the tumor is alive but not operable; surgical rescission to remove the tumor.

I am doing well otherwise. I am eating great and so mommy has not hooked me up to my feeds in a couple of weeks. she keeps telling me that if I would take my medicine by myself then I could get my tube removed but I just do not want to take my medicine. As always, it is my way or no way!

Hugs and Kisses,

Amelya

Update

Well I got through my Chemotherapy with only some cramping this time-- no severe diarrhea repeat!!! Thanks to all of you for your prayers and support.
Went to Clinic today to get my CT scans to check on any progress made by the radiation I had in August-September of last year and also to see of the last round of chemotherapy did any damage; to our dismay there was no measurable change. The doctor wants to go ahead and do the multiple biopsy surgery to get a pathologically view of the tumor left. We will have a surgery date soon I am sure because she wants to get on with my treatment and get me Cancer Free.
As soon as we get the date I will let everyone know.
Hugs and kisses,
Amelya