Day-5, 5th day of conditioning treatment.

Another gentle start to the day....as I found Ella and Rachael "having a lie in" when I got onto the ward at 7.00am. I rattled a few toys and cups of tea which had the desired affect. Ella enjoyed a lovely shower followed by a pamper morning, which included having her toe nails painted (by Auntie Rachael ). In fact several times because Ella kept twitching her toes and smudging them.
Chemo started earlier than usual today, so whilst all that was happening we did more school work, craft activities, watched "Tracy Beaker" but most important of all we tried to get to grips with the WEB CAM!!!!!!!!!!!
How many people does it take to work one?
Firstly we could see Uncle John and the children in Southport.....then we couldn't.......then we could hear them..........then we couldn't.............and so it went on.They could see us by the way,but couldn't hear us! What a performance. Ella did the only sensible thing in that situation and fell asleep. Tomorrow is another day. Auntie Rachael isn't staying tonight so I guess she will try to sort it out.I bet it will be a repeat of today though, only with her at the other end.
Daddy is staying tonight ..let the fun begin. He has promised Ella and I a full English ( whether he buys it or makes it is another thing). I think I'll have a lie in !
Ella is fast asleep now and Daddy is hoping that she stays that way.
I spoke to Sally just a while ago and she is feeling a bit better. However, she has had strict instructions not to come back until she is 100%......Mum said!
Thankyou for all your messages of support and concern it means a lot to us all.
Annette and Damian.x

Day_6, 4th day of conditioning treatment

Today began in a very unexpected way....when I arrived on the ward at 6.45am both Ella and Sally were fast asleep! Ella was the first to open her eyes, and while we pottered about Sally slept on. When she did wake up, it was very apparent that Sally was not feeling too well, so she was quickly packed off back to Southport. I know that she is missing Ella so much, but our precious little girl is in safe hands tonight, with Rachael and myself.
Ella has had a wonderful day today! She has responded really well to all her treatment, which has been almost identicle to yesterdays'. Ella managed two chips at lunch time and little else.I was beginning to think that our appetite had been flattened, when suddenly the lure of prawn cocktail Pringles did the trick and we managed six of those, a packet of Wotsits and all the grapes from an M/S fruit salad! Cheeky!
Ella's hospital teacher came this morning and they worked for almost 3/4 hr on maths puzzles and writing etc. She has really found the key to making learning fun and bringing it to a little girl who doesn't feel like joining in.Well done Janet!
Ella had a day filled with visitors, and more presents! the making and doing area, is rapidly becoming a making and doing room!!! luckily for us there seems to be an artist come fashion designer in the making!
Please join in with the discussion, or remember to send us a message back, all news from the outside world greatly appreciated!
love Annette and Rachael xxxxxx

Day -7 3rd day of conditioning treatment

At 5.30 this morning I had given up thinking there was any chance of Ella or I having any sleep ,so when Mum arrived on the ward at 7am we were both exhausted and were waiting for the doctors to arrive. The doctors were very unfazed by Ella symptoms and said it is probably the side affects of all the medication ,which is an awful lot !! So we battled on and even managed to persuade Ella to wash her hair when she was being showered this morning and put some clips in .
The 3rd day of treatment has come in two parts. The 1st being chemotherapy to suppress her immunity and to start destroying Ella's own bone marrow . We were very relived to find the new chemo for today only lasted 30Min's. The 2nd being the long 5hr chemo of the last two days. As the day has gone on Ella has become brighter and brighter and has spent this afternoon making cards ,painting Tinkerbell's and doing some school work!! This evening she has even managed to eat a packet of skips ,an ice pop and some grapes .
The three of us are looking forward to a peacefull night snoozing in our own beds zzzzzzzzzz

Day -8 2nd day of conditioning treatment

After a good start with the chemo yesterday Ella became quite poorly and reacted to the drugs which the doctors did expect to happen (and we were hoping wouldn't). After a bad evening she eventually went to sleep at about 10pm and then slept quite well (we didn't!).
I think we expected her to be back to normal today but she is very tired and has kept her high temperature,sickness and the runs, she doesnt know whats hit her poor thing!!
She has had her mind taken off it slightly with a lovely visit from Sam, her Aunty Rachael ,Aunty Diane and Daddy. She has Started her chemo again this afternoon and has just fallen asleep laughing at Sam which was lovely to hear. So far the bad reaction of yesterday hasn't happened so fingers crossed (and toes ,arms and legs says Mum) !!!

Day -9 1st day of conditioning treatment

Well she has started her treatment AHHHH!! We arrived at the hospital last night to get settled in and the 1st drip went up 1/2 an hour ago .She has been given lots of prep drugs to stop the awful reactions but so far she is fast asleep so hopefully it may not be to bad. Mum has got a room at the parents accommodation which is just across from the bone marrow unit and its surprisingly quite nice ,we can keep the room for the whole transplant which is a big help it means two of us can stay at hospital all the time.