[Labhaoise]

Well this is an email from Cleo's mum from a couple of weeks ago.. I've been really slack at putting this up. So thanks all for your thoughts and prayers.. when I get the next update I'll try not to be so slack at putting it up. Anyway onto the fantastic news!!

ALL CLEAR…..! These are the two very important words that we needed to hear today. The doctor is really pleased with the scan; he even said it was a ‘fantastic’ scan. I was so nervous going into his office my heart was literally jumping out of my chest, my hands were shaking. He asked how we were and I replied with a very quick “how we’re feeling isn’t important…how’s Cleo..?” I really couldn’t wait a minute longer to find out these results. At Cleo’s appointment her doctor said he is now able to send off a letter to Cleo’s surgeon who put the central line in requesting for the line to come out at about mid November, now that will be exciting because that means she can go back to swimming one the site has healed. She has really been looking forward to getting back into her swimming. It also means that it is one more thing that we can say ‘goodbye’ to. Another closure.

After tomorrow we don’t have to go to the hospital for two weeks, wow two weeks off the hospital. Very exciting. You should have seen Cleo’s face when the doctor said that., in fact you should have seen all of our faces when the doctor said that. What a wonderful change that will be sine we are so used to being there two-three times a week.

Now we just all have to learn how to get back to a ‘normal’ way of living again. Life has been far from normal this year and to get back to something that even slightly resembles what life used to be like will just be awesome. Right now, life just couldn’t be any better… and we have God to that for every single moment that we have travelled in this journey. The good, the bad, the ugly, God has been there with us, every single step of the way. “What a friend we have in Jesus……”

The small nodule or ‘thing’ that has been seen in previous scans of Cleo’s is still there but it is now so small that it can ‘t even be measured with a ruler. Praise the Lord!” He is still more confident that it is just either dried blood or scar tissue from her operation healing. I guess the next scan in three months time with give us a clear indication of whether anything is growing because she would have not been on chemo for three months which gives the tumor, if there is anything a chance to grow. I pray that this monster is gone, and I pray that this monster ahs no opportunity to do anything.

Cleo looks just fantastic. She has colour in her little cheeks, she actually has a small spring in her step and she is now just generally interested in doing stuff, before she really had little emotion towards anything because she was feeling so beaten around. Cleo just can’t stop smiling when the word school is mentioned, she has really enjoyed every moment at school this week, even though its been in small amounts. It gives her something else to really look forward to other than being told that she has to go to the hospital all the time.

Now we need to really try to focus on living. It feels so good to feel a little bit normal again. I honestly thought these feelings would never really come back. I am excited about next year. Next year brings a lot of new beginnings and it also see’s the end of this horrific year.

Tomorrow Cleo has her lumbar puncture at 8am, She’ll have bloods taken at 7:30am and then go under a general anaesthetic for the lumbar puncture which only takes about 15 minutes. She then has to wait around in clinic for about an hour to fully recover.

“His love and kindness begin fresh each day” Lamentations 3:23

God Bless,
Lisa