For the third cycle now Pippa’s blood counts are too low for too long. It’s not a major concern, just a small and apparently rather interesting problem that needs solving. Although now behind on her treatment plan, she continues to be healthy, happy and full of life. As the plan is written in sand anyway I’m not to be bothered by it especially as her doctor is not – he just has to figure out the best way to overcome it. We will make the drive back again to Melbourne on Sunday ready for Monday morning and more blood tests that will hopefully allow chemo treatment.
To think that I am even using the phrase, “hopefully chemo treatment”!
On the upside, Pippa’s MRI report is one, singular word – Stable.
I don’t think I have ever used a singular word to describe anything in my whole life! I certainly haven’t used a single word to “do” anything! This one little word doesn’t tell me a whole lot but apparently it is the best outcome for an MRI result and more importantly, it screams to me patience at a time when I’m getting really itchy feet. I guess the weekly drive down for low blood counts is also teaching me the same lesson.
Seven and a half months ago I literally collapsed into the the doctor who delivered me the very first piece of numbing news. I still cannot believe the daily conversations I now have, the words I have to learn and the information I have to process. I had to be patient to get a diagnosis that could be worked with and treated, patient to wait for the steroids to do their job, patient through radiation, patient for an MRI scan that could be read and now patient to get a consistent treatment plan and continue with what lies ahead. Pippa, although still not missing a beat, is the most patient of all. Never complaining about numerous appointments, treatments, tests nor the thousands of kilometres that we travel. She happily went off to school on the first day of the school year full of excitement to see her friends and teacher but completely OK that she would miss the second one and most of the third.
Pippa (along with her understanding and patient brothers as well) is certainly teaching me some life lessons.
Pippa Rea 