Our thoughts and prayers go Neil and Tina Hughes, whose beautiful little girl Samantha passed away earlier this month. Samantha's fantastic blog linked here has been an inspiration to us during the difficult times. The World has lost some of it's sparkle now.
The whole family went to the hospital for a day trip yesterday. What a life! Ciara is still doing well as far as we can see. There's no scanning or MIBG type tests at the moment and there won't be for a good few months so we don't know of any cancer progression, fingers crossed there isn't any. The trips are just for blood tests and to make sure her marrow is doing what it should, and it sure is.
Her tummy is looking much better, considering it was only three months ago she looked like a heavily pregnant four year old. The doctor can't feel the liver any more through he belly, definitely a good thing! Unfortunately the pressure of the VOD (catchup: Liver disease caused by treatment) has given Ciara an umbilical hernia. Not a major thing, it's not causing her any discomfort. We'll keep an eye on it then later on, once all treatment is complete, we can think about surgery to fix it. It's purely cosmetic. Again, she won't be back in again for a month.
"Go on", you say, "give us another pic!". I aim to please all hypothetical readers:
...as I'm at work (ssshhhh).
Please sponsor my Sister in Race for Life, in aid of Cancer Research UK.
http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/buggyworkout
And to prove I'm not all take-take-take, here's a picture of Ciara taken the other while we were on a dinosaur hunt. Alas, all we could find were fossilised brontosaurus bones (or tree roots if you have no imagination). You would not believe her energy levels and Joie de Vivre:
Ciara is doing well. Doesn't need to go back in to the hospital for a month. Looking good, putting on weight and her hair is growing back. Off to see her grandparents this weekend.
