Treatment Update: One year has come and gone
November 5th, 2008 | by Emily | See all Treatment Update entries |
Today, we “celebrate” the one year anniversary of Maddie’s diagnosis, and we can’t help but be thankful for how far we’ve come. The Maddie that is running around the house this morning hardly resembles the child that we carried into Maine Med one year ago. Pale, scared, and listless is how I remember Maddie on that day. Still so clear in my mind is a picture of Maddie after having her blood drawn at the hospital where I worked crying and saying,”I’m never going to your hospital again.” A simple blood draw was only the beginning of our journey that has changed all of our lives and forced Maddie to grow up very fast. After months on a rollercoaster of highs and lows brought on by the different phases of her treatment, we now find her physical and emotional health consistent and predictable (or as predictable as any 4-year-old). Aside from a very short “hair-cut” (as many people unknowingly refer to it) and a vocabulary that consists of medical terminology that must adults don’t understand, you would not know all that she has been through in the last year. She is healthy, vibrant, energetic, positive, and thriving.
She was a fairy princess for Halloween. While last year she spent Halloween on the couch asleep because she felt so poorly, this year she trick or treated with her preschool class in the afternoon and some friends in the evening. Also, we have recently added a canine friend to our family, who Maddie adores. We still have a way to go before Maddie’s treatment ends, but now we find leukemia and her treatment have become less of a focal point of our daily lives.
November 5th, 2008 at 9:29 am (#)
Emily, Maddie and family:
It’s Mark Bravo from the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. I’ve been following your progress, and am thrilled to hear where you’ve come in the past year.
So glad to hear things are going so well; with your family’s intestinal fortitude and Maddie’s bravery, I was confident I’d hear such positive news.
All my best; hope to see you when back here. Be well, and enjoy! Have a WORLD-CLASS day!!
Mark
November 5th, 2008 at 10:29 am (#)
I am so glad to hear you have the first year behind you and how well Maddie is doing. She has a great family to support her and a wealth of friends - email and local - who anxiously await to hear how she is doing each month.
I know Sandra LeVan and also have a four year old grandchild and my heart and prayers are with you often.
Looking forward to hearing about years of great holidays to come!!!
Stay strong and God be with you all.
November 5th, 2008 at 3:43 pm (#)
Dear Emily, Brad and Maddie,
This is a wonderful day and I’m just delighted to hear that Maddie is doing so well. If I’d tried to pin the date of her diagnosis I probably would have guessed at two years, not one. It’s been a difficult one for both of us so it seems really long, but life is really looking up, eh?
Congrats on your new canine friend. The words of our President-elect echo in my mind: “you’ve earned that new puppy.”
With love and renewed hope,
Lucy
November 7th, 2008 at 2:55 pm (#)
Congratulations and it’s great to hear that Maddie is doing so well. Thank you for the update!
November 14th, 2008 at 12:59 am (#)
Emily,
Ever since I got the news from Jill, I have been following your updates closely through this website. Thank you for keeping it updated. I remember sitting at the picnic table with you at the Illinois River after graduation and talking about our futures. We had no idea what trials would be affecting both of us, but I knew that what ever came our way we could handle it. I have found that God gives us strength that we never knew we had. Although I have dealt with my own trials dealing with my sister and parents, it is a whole different thing to go through it with your child. I am so proud to have watched you from afar and to tell people that I know you. You have handled this past year with grace, integrity, and honor. You are an inspiration. Thank you for allowing us to learn from you.
Britani
November 21st, 2008 at 12:01 pm (#)
I wanted to mail a little something to Maddie — is there a good address to send it to –
I work at Sarkeys Foundation and know Sandra LeVan and I have meet Emily before Thanks