GOBBLE GOBBLE!

Sorry it took me a while to update her blog. Thanksgiving was great. We started off at Daddy's Parent's house. We took all of Ryla's toys down from the attic and Alex now has a car he can roll himself around the house along with Ryla. She was so excited to see all of her old toys.

Afterwards we headed towards my side of the family's house. Ryla had fun playing with her cousin and her cousin's toys too. She is now able to walk herself around on her own! THANK GOD!

This picture below was taken today. She's sitting on her and Alex's favorite window sill. She was sitting there while watching her Disney movies! Look how happy she is now! I'm finally getting my baby girl back! THANK YOU!!!!

To let you guys know too... Her eyelashes are starting to grow back as well as her eyebrows and more hair is coming out on her head! We're so happy she's doing great!

WALKING WALKING!

She did it! She's finally starting to walk again! Of course she still wants to hold my hand but the fact is, SHE'S WALKING! She had a doctors appt today so we were there at 8am. It was only for a CBC (labs) which is just a prick on the finger so for a while she was happy! She wanted to walk around the treatment room (with me holding one hand). She's to the point where she's just holding my PINKY and she's walking!!! It's not perfect walking but she's totally getting there! After the results from her lab work came in, came the tears. We found out that she needed a blood transfusion and in order for her to receive blood... they have to poke her again through her port (she calls it her "BUDDY")... So she knew she was gonna get an "OWIE" today. I even told her before we got there that she wasn't going to have any "OWIES" so I felt bad when I had to break the news to her. She of course cried but she didn't SCREAM like she use to do! She did scream maybe once or twice but not as bad as before. So we were there for 3 extra more hours. She hung out and played with Breanna (Another A.L.L. Patient). It was nice to see that she was finally interacting with other kids her age. When she was done with the transfusion, she even helped the nurse put Heprin in her tube! Then she fell asleep. She gets really sleepy after a transfusion.

I'm just so happy that she's finally trying to walk on her own! She's doing a good job and even the nurses were happy and even saying "YOU'RE WALKING!! YAY!!" they gave her a present from the gift box! She got herself a barbie! heheh!!

As most of you know, I've created a website just for Ryla that has ALL her other sites combined in there so that way you can just save this website, instead of having like 3 different sites of Ryla. Please come by and check it out when you have the chance. It's www.freewebs.com/rylalove . I'm adding more things to it so please keep on checking up on it! Thank you to everyone who's been helping us throughout this whole situation. Without you guys, we would be lost....

SEA WORLD

We had a nice day at Sea World on Saturday. Ryla was soo excited all the way since we were in the car, driving to Sea World! She kept talking and talking and laughing and laughing. When she saw Sea World from the road, she started pointing at it, with big eyes and screaming, "MOMMY! DADDY! IT'S SEA WORLD!!" We tried to trick her and say "Oh we're not really going to Sea World, we're just passing by" and she said, "No. It's a waste of gas" hahah! She's so silly! I think she's not the only one who favors Shamu. Alex had a wonderful time too! He kept clapping and laughing everytime Shamu jumped out of the water! He would say "OOOO!!!" and then laugh and clap hahah he's so cute!

After our time at Sea World we stayed home and hung out. I think it wasn't a good thing to do because Ryla got so bored and then she started to whine and complain about everything! Me and Daddy started to get really upset when she all of a sudden, out of nowhere, said "I want my hair to grow back".... She's starting to really understand that it's not a normal thing for her to lose her hair like that. But what she doesn't know yet is that it is starting to grow back! I see her eyelashes growing back and I'm starting to see lighter strands of hair growing! Her eyebrows are starting to peek out too! I can't wait to see her with a full set of hair again!

She's finally done with the Dexathemasone (Steroids). She had to take it for 5 days and I can't believe how fast it kicked in! Doctors were saying that it might not even show any effects but it did! She was very emotional this week and very cranky! At least it didn't stop her from walking. Usually it was the Steroids that stopped her from walking. On Saturday she was walking with me just holding one hand. She was doing the rest and she was doing a good job! She didn't walk long but it was long enough for me to know that she's working her legs. I can't wait until she runs around and chases Alex. Both my kids are ALMOST there with walking! I can't wait!

Ryla Amor's Lullabye Store

Yes I've updated her Online Store and added more items! Thank you for those who've given me their ideas! They're all wonderful and expect those ideas to be inputted in her store very soon!!! If you go to her store, you will see that I am not quite done yet! :) I want to do more but it is getting late and we're off for a little family trip tomorrow! I will tell you all where we went and how it went after we come back from it!

New Updates on the Store:

-Almost every section of the store will have a selection that says: "Support Ryla". Those are all the apparels that relate to supporting Ryla.

-Cancer Section: More apparel with different designs
Please check back often for I will be updating her store at any chance I can get!! Thank you all!!!

www.cafepress.com/rylaslullabye Please click on the link above to look at her Online Store. Thank you all!

MAINTENANCE

Ryla had an appt this morning. Her first day in "MAINTENANCE". She was suppose to get a Spinal Tap done today but her appt slip from Friday didn't say anything about a Spinal Tap. Just a CBC. So she drank milk this morning and she was suppose to be fasting. So we gotta go tomorrow and get a Spinal Tap and a Flu shot done on her. I am so happy to say that her counts are back to NORMAL! Her ANC level is a whopping 2,600!!! Just last week she was at 24-48! What a difference it is to be at home than to be in the hospital. Once we got home from the hospital, she immediately started eating and playing and trying to stand up and walk! I can't wait till we can play tag again!

NIGHTMARES BEGIN...

Last night as Ryla was sleeping, she started to whine and say "I wanna walk around!". She always use to say that when we were in the hospital because she hated being stuck in her room. So we would put her in the stroller, strap the IV pole with the stroller handle and then walk her around the hospital floor for hours and hours. I hugged her and told her "Hunny, you're home now.. its okay... don't cry" and after that she calmed down. Last night I had a nightmare myself about Ryla and I woke up with tears in my eyes. I guess we are just overwhelmed with what happened to us and we still have yet to settle in our home and feel comfortable and realize that we are home.

Earlier today Arcy calls me and tells me during her nap she started whinning again asking to walk around and she would say "I'm DONE!" That was what she always use to say when the nurses/doctors would give her medicines or draw blood or do anything to her. He tried waking her up but she would cry and ask to go to the stroller and then he kept telling her, "Hunny, we're home!" and when she opened up her eyes, she would look around and it took a couple of seconds for it to register to her that we really are home... :( My poor baby girl is traumatized.... I don't blame her... that was the most depressing 3 weeks of our lives...

FINALLY HOME

Picture taken on the Oct. 17th
Thank God we are finally home! It's been the hardest 3 weeks we've ever had to face. We've faced so many challenges but with our FAITH, we were able to defeat it! She is now on MAINTENANCE! She will only be receiving Chemo once a month until 2008. Yes that sounds like a long time but it will be so much smoother than these past 5 months. Now we've taken a new turn in our family situation. Friday is my last day at work and now we will only be living through Daddy's pay. It will be a struggle for us. I know financially we would be in a bind but my daughter's health is what worries me the most and I come to realize that our financial issues should come second. I just couldn't balance work and the kids (especially Ryla). But my bosses have been the most caring and understanding! I loved my work so much because I love the people I work with! But I was getting physically tired. My body was tired, my mind was tired, my heart was tired. I don't know how we can go through with just one paycheck but I have to do all that I can. For now, we're trying to sign up for all these Foundations that Ryla would quality for but Arcy and I are worried in the long run, how will we make it? I do have Ryla's online store where Ryla will receive commission everytime someone buys a product. It's just so hard having to deal with Cancer in the family and being in financially in trouble. Almost all the parents that I've met in the Hemotology/Oncology Unit are going through the same situation as we are. The mothers on the other hand acutally quit their jobs right from the beginning but I tried to hold on to it as much as I could. They are so financially hurting that I'm so surprised that there is nothing out there that can help families like us for the long term. Maybe there is and I just haven't found out about it but if any of you know of any foundation that does help long term, please let us know. But for now all I can do is keep advertising Ryla's shop: http://www.cafepress.com/rylaslullabye. Since I will be spending most of my days at home now, I will try and add new products to her store so please keep checking in for the new products... *sigh* I hope 2007 will be a better year for us...

WHAT TO DO.... WHAT TO DO....

Hello to all of Ryla's friends,

I'm at work today and I finally did it. My last day is this Friday. I'm afraid on what's going to happen to us financially but I'm just glad that I can now put all my focus on Ryla. I didn't lift off any pressure off our backs, I kind of just replaced one problem with another and I just hope this new problem won't be more stressful than the other. Now, I have to bust my butt at home to make some extra income somehow. I'm just glad that I ended my job in good terms with the company. It was such a hard job to let go of because I really did like my job. About Ryla... Still in the hospital. Her ANC level today actually went back down to 24. I have no idea WHY!! and it's driving me nuts!! I can't stand it in the hospital anymore and I know Ryla can't stand it. She's sooo depressed. I can't stand seeing her like that. I can't stand seeing all those IV lines on her. I just hope we'll be home in time for Thanksgiving. I just spoke with Daddy and there is some hope. Dr was saying that she's been stabled for a while now even though her counts are low sooo... they will be removing the IV lines and see how she does one night without any fluids. If by tomorrow morning, she's still doing well with no complaints or anything, they will finally let us go home tomorrow afternoon. I HOPE things will do well. We are praying SOO hard. I just can't keep seeing her so depressed. A 3 year old should never feel "DEPRESSED"! If I had the funds, I would so spoil her with presents especially after what she had to go through these past 3 weeks... I will update you all tomorrow... Thank you for everyone who was sending their thoughts and prayers. You don't know how much it means to us knowing you are all behind us in all of this.

P.S. Please also keep BREANNA in your prayers... She is currently going through the same intense phase that caused Ryla to be currently in the hospital. BREANNA is a tough girl and please pray that this intense phase won't be so hard on her like it did to Ryla.

<3 always,Ryla's Mommy