Tuesday... Abby Back in the Hospital for the 19th Time Since July

Abby's sores still hurt, but they are healed enough to start the next round of chemo. They are painful enough that she still needs continuous morphine, but her cancer is just too aggressive to wait any longer. At least they are keeping her comfortable.

Abby had a great weekend with only a few times of discomfort. We look forward to her not being on morphine constantly but her enjoyment of life was so remarkably improved for a few days.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, she will be admitted to the hospital for a spinal tap and some nasty chemo. In the past they have had trouble sedating her for the spinal, so I would appreciate your prayers for her comfort. They will also be checking her intracranial pressure.

Some members of Abby's medical team wanted her to get a lower dose of one of her chemo drugs, but her primary doctor feels strongly that she needs the full dose to remain in remission. I am praying that God protects her from the harsher side effects.

We are very happy with how Abby is handling one of her meaner chemo drugs, Vincristine. In the past she has had muscle wasting, nerve pain and her reflexes were absent. At its worst, she was unable to stand for more than a couple of seconds.

Today she was able to impress us with her strength (walking on tippy toes and heals) and she has reflexes for the first time since JULY! In the past, she would barely be able to walk at this point. Thank you for praying!

We anticipate her being in the hospital 2-3 days while they monitor her for reactions to the chemo and keep her fluid levels up. We really covet your prayers over the next week... it takes about 5-7 days for the chemo to hit full toxicity in her body so this weekend and next week could be a another dangerous round for Abby if history is any indication.

We'll keep you updated.

~ Michelle