The first week of Battle

First Day of Chemo

Hanging out with the IV Pole - Monday 7th of April 2008
Cheeky Grins
Where is everyone?
Barbie looking natural

Email sent - 7th of April 2008

Hi all
1 down 29 chemo sessions to go!!

Immie went to daycare the morning and me uni. First afternoon of chemo, arrived at 12.30pm for a chemo session that was said to last two hours. Got home at 8.00pm tonight, ooooo...it was a long afternoon, Immie was not hydrated enough, though it was never ever going to be two hours, (miscommunication, not unusual unfortunately). So after 3 1/2 hours of hydrate, 1 hour of chemo, 2 1/2 hours of more hydration and another drug to stop the chemo effecting her bowel, we were done. Immie has the crappy added bonus of having to be isolated throughout her whole treatment as she contracted a bug in the middle of last year for the hospital when her Immune system was stuffed. (as most of you know)This bug can only be passed on to other immune suppressed kids (so the whole ward), and makes her resistant to many IV antibiotics. There is unfortunately no way of being certain it is ever gone, so she has to isolated forever while in hospital on 3b. Our beautiful, amazing and incredibly inspiration girl, takes all this in her stride, she spend the 7 1/2 hours - riding around in the tiny room on her IV pole (with wheels), playing barbies, gluing, play dough play, laughing out the door at the nurses, jumping on her hospital bed, reading books, playing with the nurses and staff, and talking my ear off. This was all while being either connected to hydration or chemo - kids are amazing, Take a leaf from her day enjoy every day Thanks for the thoughts,

Love to all

the Holmes Gang

Last Day off chemo for the week

Mobile pictures - Immie and Gilly our OT

close up,

Immie being Immie

In the underpass at PMH on Friday the 11th of April 2008

Immie with Boots!!

Hi everyone

Well what a week, I would have to say I have one of the most incredible and amazing kids in the world (though all kids who have to endure sickness are super incredible!!). Imogen this week has been pretty much how she has been for us since going into remission last July, easy going, out going, very cute, loving, super friendly and FULL OF LIFE!!. The only really tough day for Immie this week was Tuesday, I honestly think she was finally realizing that she had to go through all this crap again, she spent most of the afternoon sleeping and when we got home she spent alot of the night wanting someone just to hold her...ooo and she also chucked up over her brand new Dora the explorer slippers (whoops).

By the next day, Wednesday she back to self, and bouncing around the room. Wednesday chemo was supported by my amazing mum aka granma, it went all well, (and they also got to spend the morning together at the park and doing painting). They got home about 6.30pm. Thursday, it was not Immie but me, that was a little emotional fragile, one of the onocolgists gave me a hug and the transplant/ mega therapy/ stem cell nurse came to speak with me, and any one else looking sideways at me was enough to set me off. That was until my fabulous sister came in to see us, she had just arrived from Kal and her and Immie have a amazing bond.

Friday the last day of chemo - I went to uni, and Immie to kindy, Arrived at the hospital with Livi (my sister) at 12.30pm, and I arrived later, there was unfortunately a delay in the chemo starting, so even though the incredible kindy teachers did a great job at hydrating her, we still arrived home at 6.45pm. Though Friday afternoon at the hospital would have been Immies finest afternoon, she had a ball chatting to everyone, giving all the nurses hugs, spending time with Gilly the OT, and hanging about with her new Boots balloon.

Home last night and Immie had the most settled sleep she had had all week, today we will have the home nurse come out and give her a needle to help her neutrophilis come up quick again.

She has been very very brave girl this very long long week,

Thanks for all the support, thoughts and prayers

Lots of love and hugs

The Holmes Gang xxx