Day 6: Pray for zero!
Tomorrow is another chemo day. It is probably a benefit to know ahead of time but it’s also all the more to think about. This time we can pack a bag of toys/games/movies and know that we have everything. At the same time, I have all night to make sure everything is perfect.
Scarlett doesn’t seem to be bothered by the prospect of an appointment at all. When I mentioned today that we were going to the doctor tomorrow, she gripped her blankie tighter and said “can we go to the doctor RIGHT NOW?” For all that she has been through she seems to be just fine.
Tomorrow we will have a three part appointment. We will meet with her new oncologist. I have heard good things about the oncology unit at St. V. I am hoping that after this appointment I will know that we made the right decision leaving Children’s. She will have her weekly chemo and dressing changes (which reminds me-we have to remember her nausea meds). She will also have another bone marrow aspiration/biopsy. And that’s the part that we are praying for.
During a bone marrow aspiration, the doctor removes marrow from her hip through a needle. They then look at it under a microscope to see how many leukemia cells they see. If it is less than her original number, she is responding to treatment. If it is zero, she is in remission. We are hoping and praying for zero!
Saving Scarlett 
Hi, my name is Sadie, and I’m a friend of Shelley Cullen. I wanted to reach out because my baby girl was diagnosed with cancer in 2008…she was 13 months old at the time…she had Rhabdomyosarcoma. Her treatment was 10 months of very aggressive chemo, along with a month of daily radiation. We also started treatment at Childrens, and then transferred up to GB after she finished radiation, which had to be done in Milwaukee. St. V’s is amazing! Everyone there is so nice…you will not be disappointed! They just remodeled and expanded their clinic, and they did a wonderful job. I want to let you know that I stood exactly where you are…I know how helpless and scared you are. You have just been thrown into the very scary world of childhood cancer…your life will never be the same. Even when your sweet little Scarlett is done with treatment, you won’t see the world through the same eyes as before. My baby is now almost 7, and is perfectly happy and healthy. She had the most optimal outcome, with very little side effects as of now. She just hit the amazing milestone of 5 years off treatment! Anyways, I wanted to reach out to let you know that I’m available if you want to talk or ask questions. I made lots of new friends during her treatment…it’s nice to have someone who knows exactly what you’re going through…the combo of anger, fear, stress, anxiety…your “normal” friends will try to understand, but there’s no way for them to understand. I will be praying for your baby! My email is sadieslotke@gmail.com
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