Treatment Update: Maddie plays with Diego
April 8th, 2009 | by Emily | See all Treatment Update entries | 8 Comments
After Maddie’s treatment today, we asked her what she’d like everyone that follows her journey to know. She thought long and hard about the question as she ate her yogurt and PB&J sandwich at the Panera Bread in Lebanon, NH not far from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (or “my hospital” as she calls it). The first thing she wanted everyone to know is how much she misses family members, hundreds and even thousands of miles away in different parts of the country, and friends, especially those that we haven’t seen much of since we left Maine. In addition, to the humans that she misses, she’s always quick to remind us that she dearly misses Sal and Braego, the horses at the Chewonki Farm. Her most frequent question to us is, “When are we going to get our horse?” While a horse or horses is/are on our radar, its arrival is not soon enough for our little five-year-old. It is reassuring to hear the topic of her greatest concern be about the arrival of a horse and not her on-going leukemia treatment.Thankfully, Maddie’s treatment has become somewhat of a side-note in our daily lives. For the most part, our family’s little cancer killing machine continues to chug along full speed ahead. Maddie’s had a few linger colds and fevers this spring, but her blood counts have remained high indicating that her immune system is strong enough to ultimately fight off any bugs. We had one unexpected ER visit and one unanticipated blood draw; even considering those blips on the radar screen, treatment has continued without interruption. Yes, we still battle from day to day getting her to take her meds in the evening when she is very tired, but we have developed strategies to get the meds down without too much consternation. And on a monthly basis, Maddie regularly chimes in with, ” I love my hospital. I love going to treatment.” So I guess in a lot of ways, we’ve got it pretty good. Not that I’m psyched about the whole cancer thing, but when you really get down to it, things could be a lot worse. So, we continue to keep our eye on the “prize” – January of 2010 – when Maddie’s treatment is scheduled to finish, and all indications are that that will indeed be the case.Maddie also wanted to let everyone that we’ve added a new calf to our clan of animals. I think she’s planning to name him Diego, and she enjoyed bottle feeding him and running around with the red and white little Ayrshire. He will be joined by 10 pigs, 2 lambs, another calf, 300 chickens and 15 turkeys during the spring and summer. Wow! Sounds like it’s going to be a busy time. Good thing Maddie’s got enough energy for all three of us!
April 8th, 2009 at 6:53 pm (#)
What wonderful news to hear that Maddie is doing so well. We have been keeping her in our prayers at church and I guess it’s working.
Glad to know that you are close enough to Dustin & Kathleen so the girls can have fun playing together once in awhile.
Donna (Dustin’s mom)
April 8th, 2009 at 7:09 pm (#)
You can tell Maddie I saw Sal and Braego today and they are just fine. The barn is busy with the arrival of all the new lambs and it is so fun to watch the spring unfold. It’s great to hear about your growing menagerie, so we know that Maddie isn’t starved for animal companionship, and wonderful to hear she is so full of energy!
We sure miss you three,
Lucy
April 8th, 2009 at 7:24 pm (#)
Sal and Braego miss you too Maddie, and so do I. It was great to talk to you today…it sounds like Diego is going to have plenty of friends before too long. I hope he’s good about drinking his bottle!
April 8th, 2009 at 9:58 pm (#)
Thanks for the update! I’m so happy to hear that everything is going along so well.
April 8th, 2009 at 10:46 pm (#)
Hey my first little music maker student!
Oliver and Clint and I went to see our friends’ new baby lambs in Freeport and I thought they were goats! That’s how much I know! Oliver was freeked out about the poop so we’re trying to educate him about the difference between urban dog poop and natural farm poop. Portland just passed an ordanance to allow chickens in the city os we may be getting some soon! and building a coop of course, right Clint? Can’t wait to visit your homestead. I really missed seeing you all when I took Ollie up to Chewonkee to pick up the inflatable Gulligut tree for The Birds of Zazurds musicl that I’m putting on at the Friends’ School this Spring.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:16 am (#)
Maddie and “Parental Units”
I can only assume the Easter Egg Hunt will follow you every year, where ever you are. Enjoy!
chuck,tracey,norman and rusty.
April 13th, 2009 at 10:15 am (#)
Maddie, your grandmother has been such a jewel to get to know and LOVE! She nevers forgets to mention you wherever she might be. You are in the hearts of so many people now, and they love to hear more about you each time your grandmother visits.
April 20th, 2009 at 6:58 am (#)
Hi Emily and Maddie-
I hadn’t checked your blog for a while, but I am SO HAPPY to hear that Maddie is doing well. I will keep hoping that everything goes as smoothly as possible. Emily, are you getting nostalgic for running the Boston marathon? Hard to believe that was exactly a year ago! Laura Onderko (one of the other Bowdoin captains you met will hopefully be finishing it today!) I enjoyed running Portland this fall and hearing your name announced as the record holder! I hope Vermont is treating your family well and that you are enjoying life on the farm. I will keep sending my best wishes from Malaysia (where I’m teaching right now) and I’m sure the whole Bowdoin track team sends the same.
Best,
Amy