Tomorrow may be a tough day....

Tomorrow's Treatment:
Big Chemo Hit.  Ugh.  It's here.  Monday and Tuesday this week she will get the chemo to totally wipe out her system including any bad cancer cells.  The plan is to transplant the healthy stem cells (from last Monday's harvest) on Thursday.  Hopefully then her body will only reproduce the healthy cells.
The chemo tomorrow is what probably what a lot of us think of as far as chemo goes - something that will make her sick and feel pretty cruddy probably.

Prayer Requests:
* That the side effects would be minimal.  So far she has really been a star patient so please pray that this will continue and that everyone will be shocked at how little effect the chemo has.  Pray specifically against sores in her mouth and throat. 
* Please pray that she will be able to stay hydrated and will feel like eating enough to keep her strength up and help her body heal.
* Pray against nausea and soreness.

* Pray for her spirit to somehow be encouraged in all of this.  The last couple of days have brought home the reality of what's going on as her hair has started coming out.  This is a pic Dad took today of her in her hat for church.  Tonight we had a little *party* on their back porch while Aunt Nancy bravely took the clippers to what was left of her hair.  Mom was worried about if the little girls would be freaked out by seeing Mimi with a shaved head, but they've known that Mimi's hair would be gone and that's why she had got a wig.  It's so funny to see how kids react so matter-of-factly to things because they don't know that it is an emotional event.  To them tonight was just part of what was happening because that's what we told them would happen.  There was no sadness or weirdness on their part, they just talk about Mimi wearing her wig and then when her hair has grown back she won't wear it anymore.  They also bring some comic relief which is always so nice in not-so-fun situations. 
** I will try to attempt to tell the funniest story about Kate from tonight: So Mom was on the back porch brushing her hair to see if the wind would help out the process before we cut it, and Kate was talking in her 3 year old, mile a minute way.  i.e."Why are you brushing your hair?  Why are you outside?  Why do you want your hair to come out?" (read quickly with no breaths to get the full effect and multiple the questions by 20.) So Mom is patiently trying to explain that her hair is falling out and she is just helping it along.  She was trying to get Kate to watch and see if she could see the hair coming out, but she just wasn't getting it.  Finally Mom just took her hand and pulled out a hand full of hair to show her.  Kate immediately stopped talking and simply said, (in her deep, funny, very uniquely Kate voice) "Whoa."  Okay so this is not nearly as funny typed out but trust me it gave us all a good laugh when we needed it.
* Also please pray for the rest of us.  We don't exactly know how long it will be before we get to see Mimi again.  3 weeks maybe???  That is forever to 3 little girls who absolutely adore their Mimi.  In fact, even as I write it, I am tearing up thinking of how many times I am going to have to tell them, "Not yet, honey." when they ask to be with her.  I know a lot of people go much much longer without getting to see people they love, but what can I say? We are spoiled!  We love having our Mimi in town and seeing her a lot!  Maybe we will be pleasantly surprised at how fast it goes by - especially since we are also on the baby sister countdown - but I know it won't go by quick enough.  We haven't told the girls yet that today was the last time for a while that we will see Mimi.  Honestly I just don't want to.  I just want them to have enjoyed getting to spend the day at Mimi and Papa's house and not have to think about not getting to do that again for a few weeks.

Praises:
* I am so so very thankful for my Aunt Nancy.  She is my mom's sister and I just know that she is the perfect person to be there to help Mom.  I am also very thankful for her family who is sacrificing time with their wife, mom and grandma so that she can be here. (Thank you! Thank you!)
* Praise God for what really was a pretty great week.  I think Mom felt pretty good this week (relatively speaking) and it was nice for her to not have to go to the dr. office/hospital every day.  We were able to spend quite a bit of time there and I am so glad!
* Praise God for medical advancements that allow her to stay home through this and not be in the hospital.
* Praise God for a cute wig to wear :)

Thanks again for all the prayers.  Also if anyone would like to send her a card and needs her address, please feel free to call, email or facebook message me to get it.