It's boring

Boring is very good though, that means nothing is going wrong like getting bad infections. My skin has been bothering me though, itching and hurting. Maybe it's my hair trying to grow back. Who knows. For pain the doctors finally started giving something that works. Oxycodon didn't work, neither did morphine. They're giving me dilaudid. Have you heard of it? They also give me anti itch medicine that doesn't work. Oh well, I hope my skin gets better soon.
I got a very cute balloon and adorable teddy bear from the McKlungs. Thank you so much, I love cuddling with that bear :D.
I love you all very much, thanks again!
Kim

Kim is alive and well

At least she is working on being well. Yesterday we should have said that it was day twelve of round five because of the split in this chemo round. Horray the docotors have finally found something that helps Kim's pain and she is dealing with itchy skin and they have also found something that helps with that. Both are side affects of the antibiotics that she has been taking. Her blood pressure is doing great and it looks like the antibiotics have got the infection under control. We had a little excitement when we plugged in her heating pad and took out the power in her room. We thought we were in big trouble when we had to call the engineers to flip the breaker and turn it back on again. But they said that it happens and it was no big deal. Kim has been doing great and send you all her love.

Day 5 of Round 5

Hi everyone thanks again for your support, faith and prayers. The chemo has done its job and her blood has dropped like a rock and so has her immunity.
The doctors have found the infection in her blood, it is a different one than the one that sent her to PICU. She is responding well to the antibiotics. She is on five different ones right now. Her fevers are gone and her blood pressure is back to normal and although she is still really tired she is doing much much better. We had a very special surprise today. Brad Nelson and his wife, one of Kim's favorite teachers from Logan High, came to visit Kim today. Like our family their family is fighting cancer as well. Our love, support and prayers go out to them.

Yea No More Chemo

Yesterday was a very eventful one for Kim. She had to say a sad goodby to two friends Lauren and Noelle from the PC Branch. They have prayed for and with her loved and supported her and her family and given wonderful lessons. They have been there for Kim since the beginning of her treatment. She and her family will miss them. They were both released from their callings. That is another of the amazing blessings that have come from her journey - the friends that she has made.
She was also able to move out of her closet and back into ICS. Her nurses made her stay in the closet fun but it was good that she was able to move back. She was greeted by the always supportive nurses and techs. They dressed up and brought her gifts and sang her a song to celebrate her last day of chemo. We set up room 4414 back again in C pod. She decorated the walls until she was tired. Last night her temp went up and her blood pressure went down. We have had everyone in here doing everything they can to keep her out of PICU. She is very tired and so even though the chemo is over we aren't feeling well enough to celebrate quite yet. Thanks again for your love and support.

AH!!! I'm in a CLOSET!

So maybe it's a little bigger than a closet, but it's much much smaller than the normal rooms in the ICS. This is called a sedation room. There are four of them in their own little area. I'm only going to be in here for awhile, then I'll get a bigger room. The whole hospital is full, they're sticking kids in places they usually wouldn't. One kid had to be put in a room the physician on call uses to sleep in. Crazy.
It's kind of fun being here since it's a totally new thing. Two of the kids are babies, but the other one is a 21 year old boy. Mom and I wemt to visit with him and his dad. Apparently we're all getting together tomorrow for a movie haha. It's nice being able to talk to someone around my age who's going through similiar things.
I was pretty low on red blood cells and platelets when I came in, so I've recieved two bags of blood and a bag of platelets. I started my first dose of ARA-C. I believe I'm getting about 2000 mL of ARA-C total. My ANC went from 2200 to 100 in a week. That's fast.
When I'm done with this whole cancer thing I'm really going to miss the people here. They've been so so amazing. They make having to come here and have chemotherapy so much more bearable.

Home for a few days

Because the chemo doesn't usually start to make Kim sick for the first week or so (yesterday being an exception) and also because they space these last few big shot doses apart a few days, Kim is at home until Friday. Then she will go back for the last of her chemo- and to await the results. You know, the usual sickness, fevers, weakness, eye and skin irritation, hair loss, etc. Too bad, as she's progressed from the "kiwi" look to almost a "fuzzy little chick" style.
We just wanted to let you know that Kim is feeling a little better today, and though it is slow getting started, this is really IT- the final round, and the key to this whole big adventure we've been having. As she is still so weak, it's going to be more critical than ever that we try not to let her get sick. But regardless of how long this last round takes, once we finally get through it, we'll be through! And hopefully soon we'll be able to find out which Kim thinks is harder: cancer, or college. Hah ;)
Love you all, and thank you so much for helping us to get through this one last fight to the end. We need you!

ARA-C Big Guns

Hi Everyone-

This is Julie. Kim is not feeling well today so it is my turn to take a crack at this blogging. For this last and final round of chemo they are doubling the amount of ARA-C and giving it to her in a shorter period of time. She has been very tired today and running a fever of an of as well. She has also been having trouble with her heart again which we did not expect. We are optimistic but watchful. She has had so many of her friends here at Primary Children stop in to offer encouragement in this her last battle with the red robot. We have also felt your love, faith and prayers in our behalf. The Spirit has been with us giving peace, comfort, strength and hope.

Here we go again

Hey everyone, it's Kim. Mom and I just got back to PCMC today to start the next and final round of chemotherapy. I should be starting the first dose any minute now. I'll be getting four doses of the lovely chemo ARA-C, fingers crossed for no rash! I'll also be getting a chemo shot. I have no idea how I'll react to that. But if all goes well I should be home on Sunday. I'll go back next Friday to finish the treatment and stay for count recovery.

So it's later. Mom and I have been watching the opening ceremony for the winter olympics. To my great surprise I just had another kidney stone. Holy cow. That might explain the bad pain I've had this week. That's what my nurse thinks. Well, at least that clears that up. No more excitement. Wow.

My great grandma (and I do mean great, she's awesome) was over in the University hospital for congestive heart failure, caused by a bad valve. Mom and I went over to see her before admitting me. I also got to see my grandma. It was good see them. I felt way bad to see my great grandma hooked up to those machines. She told me that if I could do it, then she could do it too. Go grandma!

Quick Update

I'm sorry- at this rate, I am going to break all of you of the habit of keeping an eye on Kim, and we still need you for one more round!
We've been having a great time with Kim home. As I've said, she still doesn't have much energy, and has a lot of recovering still to do, but compared to where she was a month ago- a week ago- and even just a few days ago she is doing much better. It's such a wonderful miracle.
Kim got to stay at home an extra week, because although most of her blood counts have come back well, she still has very few platelets. We don't really know why this is. However, although they would like her to have more of them, they are going to start her on the FINAL ROUND of chemo on FRIDAY.
This round is going to be a little different from the first four. They will keep her at the hospital for about two days to administer the chemo, but then they will send her home for five days as to let the effects set in. Then she goes back to the hospital for a few more days of chemo, and the rest of the "ride as we know it."
She is, of course, a little nervous that she will have complications again this round. All of us are. But I am hoping that this will be as relatively smooth as the first few were, and she can consider all of this an event of the past.
As always, thank you all so much for your love and support. We couldn't do this without you!

Christmas!

Time has flown by so quickly now that Kim is home. I am sorry I haven't been writing- I know many of you miss hearing how she is doing. In my enjoyment of Kim, I've forgotten to share!

We were finally able to have Christmas on Saturday. We went all 0ut- Christmas eve the night before, traditionally Christmas jammies, and lots of yummy Christmas food. It was great to finally be able to give each other the presents that we bought months ago, and to watch Kim open all of the loving gifts that so many of you picked out for her- thank you all!

I am going to post a few pictures from that day, and then start to give you a few updates as to what we've been up to in the week since (though it really hasn't been much- it's such a slow recovery process.)