Jacee Chalise

Thursday, March 18, 2010

More Good News!

Well time for some more good news, Caitlin had another MRI scan on Monday, and it was clear. Meaning they couldn't see any cancer cells, so she is still doing really good. She is walking really good and her hair is continuing to grow. On another note, Elder Hugie (my little brother) is finally out in the field in Wisconsin, he was delayed in getting out in the field because he got pneumonia. (Poor guy- he was sick for the majority of the time that he was in the MTC. ) But I got to talk to him on Monday when he was waiting for his connecting flight out of Chicago. He sounded good, excited, and a little nervous. But he was happy to be out of the MTC. Good luck Elder Hugie, we love you and miss you! Don't forget to Suit Up!

Friday, March 12, 2010

Happy 7th Birthday Allie!!!

Wow, Allie is already 7 years old that means I am getting older and older. Oh Crap! I will just keep telling people that I am only 25! For her Birthday, Allie wanted to go the Utah Children's Museum at the Discovery Gateway. So Jake took the day off and we took Allie out of school and went down to Salt Lake City. We figured since it wasn't the weekend that there would only be a few people there. Boy, were we wrong! Three schools were there on a field trip, so it was really busy. But I think the girls had fun! Since there was so many kids there, we left for an early lunch to McDonald's. After we went back to the Museum and it wasn't so crowded then. Then we went to Build a Bear to pick out new outfits for the girl's Bunnies. I also had a coupon for a free animal, so Jake and I got us a puppy since the girls already have tons of stuffed animals. Then we went to Toys r us, and then to dinner at Golden Corral. All in all it was a pretty fun day. Allie said it was the best birthday ever. For her birthday Allie got a craft kit, a new horse shirt, a High School Musical doll, a diary, and two outfits for her Build-a- bear bunny. More good news, apparently Caitlin's hearing loss was only temporary, so as of right now she does not need a hearing aid. Also her leg braces have been cut down so they only cover her feet now. She is doing really good with walking and in preschool.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Good news!

Sorry that it again has taken me so long to post but when I explain what we have been up to, you will understand. Caitlin's line was removed on Tuesday February 9, she did very well and it only required about one stitch. After she woke up she was pretty good, but soon she was crying and wanted to leave the hospital. I don't blame her the poor girl has spent most of her little life in the hospital. It is so nice to have her line out, she loves being able to splash around in the bathtub. I have gone back to work part time, I like that I can still be home most of the time for Caitlin and Allie. I am working nights, so that is a little hard for me to get use to. Allie is still doing well in school. Caitlin started preschool on Monday, we decided it would be good for her to learn to be around other kids and other adults. Since her immune system has been low she hasn't been around other people, so she has been shy. But I was really proud of her, she did very good at preschool, we only had a problem when we had to go home, and she didn't want to leave a toy. Caitlin has a hearing test on Thursday, to gauge her hearing loss and to be fitted for a hearing aid. Other than these things we have just been watching the Olympics and working. Trying to get life back to normal.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

At Last!

Well the day is finally here, on Tuesday January 26th Caitlin had her last dose of her 21 at home oral chemo, which means she is totally done with all her chemo. I want to cry tears of joy, but I am also afraid because Caitlin will not be considered cancer free until five years from now, and then still for her it will be a lifetime of worrying if we really have beat this thing. Also she will have to deal with the side effects of chemo for the rest of her life. One of these will be that she will have hearing aids. I am so glad this trial is over, I am hoping we get a little break before our next trial comes along. I am sure Jesus's arms need a break from carrying me this long throughout this whole ordeal. Her hair is slowly growing back we are not really sure what color it will be yet, or if it will be curly or straight, and she is finally walking more and more on her own. Because of her hearing loss we still have a few trips down to Primary Childrens in the near future. We are hoping to get her tube out next week or the week following, we will also continue to have MRIs about every 3 months to check for new or regrowth of the cancer. Since Caitlin is in the Up to 3 program they offer sign language classes, which we are going to attend to learn a little sign language in case her hearing continues to worsen. That for me is going to be a challenge. I couldn't even learn Spanish in high school. Hopefully for this I will be more motivated. Since Caitlin is done with chemo we are trying to get our lives back to normal, I am hoping to return back to work at least part time, and maybe I will try to start to take some classes with Bridgerland to work toward getting my associates degree in accounting. That is between running Allie to school, and all the programs Caitlin is in to help her continue to recover and work on her gross motor skills. We also have the challenge of potty training Caitlin, wish us luck. We are also hoping to add another member to our family, preferably a boy. Jake says he is already surrounded by enough girls.
I want to thank everyone who has left comments and prayed and supported our family through all this. We have greatly appreciated it. Hopefully now only happy and exciting news will appear in my future posts.