The Calm Before the Storm....

Carlie here....Lots of updates today and am a little overwhelmed. Overall the basics: Surgery tomorrow around 2pm. We've been given a rough estimate of 3-4hrs. She will have her IV removed from her arm and a port put in her chest for all Chemo and other meds her body will need. We had a long conversation today and she understands that this "little sucker ball" in her belly has to come out.  She gets that she will take a long nap and wake up with it out. However she does not understand "Chemo" and since we can't know for sure what the treatment is going to be, we are going to cross that bridge later. She is thrilled to get the IV out of her arm because, in true Liv fashion, it is impeding her coloring and this simply won't do :-) 

She is, weirdly enough, excited about having stitches in her belly LOL She says they are "so cool" which was not what I was expecting her to say. Being my girl, she is almost to the point of running the show. She drags her IV pole to the bathroom and after bath is taking off her plastic wrap even though she was told to wait for the nurse.  As someone who took out her own stiches after knee surgery, this shouldn't surprise me. 

This may sound weird but something that really made me cry my eyes out today is that she can't start school in 3 weeks as scheduled. We were told that it will most likely be January before she's able to attend school.  She loves, loves, LOVES school. It comes easy for her, she is very social, loves helping others in class, loves learning, and I'm just not sure how or what will happen with her at home till at least January. I mean... WTF are we gonna do with this little fireball who loves her friends and classmates so much for the next 6 months? (again, we will figure it out but it hit me hard today how disappointed she will be) ugh. 

It shouldn't have caught me off guard but just another example of her sweet little heart was that today, even with all that is going on, she went to the activity room and with her bum little IV arm, she made us crafts... her ultimate love language.  Melted.

We have been told she will stay in the hospital for many days until her body is ready to eat and drink on its own. Chemo should start two weeks after and honestly, I feel like that is gonna be hard. Managing schedules, her reaction to it, work, pets, bills.... life seems overwhelming. For all those who have offered to bring meals now....please offer up again in a few weeks :-) we WILL take you up on it as this mama doesn't cook! :)  (but seriously)

She got several 'get well' cards and notes which she LOVES. I know they will be reread a TON in the coming days as she recovers.  Our friends who we adopted Ringo from at Noah's Bark let her name two puppies they found abandoned.  She chose "Shimmer and Shelly"  and was thrilled to get this honor! 

My very small family and Max's massive family have been amazing and our fur babies at home are being well cared for and Jet is getting to do his fun camps and soccer and still come visit. 

All that said...........as I walk around the halls here at Rady's, I see kids without families, kids way worse off, single moms trying to cope with their child with cancer, people who I know are alone and I am SO SO grateful by the amount of love...I mean ridiculous amounts of love and support and messages and I almost can't even believe the thoughts and energy and prayers coming her way. We feel SO blessed by it all. 

I didn't even know what to expect but I can tell you I am so amazed by our friends and family it brings me to even more tears. THANK YOU to everyone. We can never express all the gratitude we feel. Trust me I am reading ALL the notes and posts and it brings us all up. I could not survive this without my rock, Max, who holds me when I just lose it, who carries Liv floor to floor for scan after scan, handles most of the blog posts, still works, and even took a few hours to take Jet to practice and restock us with stuff from home. I am getting through this thanks to him. So many people and family and neighbors and friends and kids to thank. 

We love you all. Wish her luck tomorrow.