Last Round of Chemo, 11 to 18 Dec 07

Monday, 11 December

It has been a while since I last made a journal entry. We have been so unbelievably busy. I’m just backdating a little bit here and will only try to include the most important info.

Olivia continued to vomit for a few days after finishing her last round of chemo. She then began to pick up and seemed more like her usual happy self, though she still sometimes complained of a ‘sore tummy’ and still has a ‘runty nose’.

On Tuesday, we decided to re-book Olivia’s bone scan (she was suppose to have it on Monday, the 18th – the same day as the Wiggles concert). We ended up booking it for the following day (Wednesday, 13 December) so we ended up making a quick dash up to Sydney. We left Sarah with Mum for the night.

Just before we left for Sydney, I had a call from Olivia’s oncologist who told me that Olivia’s bone marrow trephine result came back negative (meaning there were no neuroblastoma cells present). You may recall from my past journal entries that this test result previously came back positive. We were so happy to hear that news. It brought tears to all of us. In fact, it’s really difficult to describe the emotions we feel when we hear news like that – it’s just such an overwhelming sense of relief. This now meant that Olivia’s stem cells could be harvested. We just have to wait for the right time.

Wednesday, 13 December

Olivia required an injection of radiation at 8.30am. The bone scan is then performed two hours later. She needs to be sedated for the scan as it is a lengthy procedure and it is crucial for her to be still in order to obtain accurate pictures. Olivia slept for quite some time after the scan. During that time, James and I went and spoke with her oncologist about the transplant. It was definitely not the talk I wanted to hear! Once again, we were overwhelmed with information. Although I knew there was a risk, being told that your child could die in transplant was not something I wanted to hear at all. There is only a small chance but of course, I ended up in tears and had a very difficult time dealing with the rest of the information.

The transplant (or stem cell rescue as some doctors prefer to call it) is an extremely intensive procedure. Olivia will require four to five days of ‘conditioning’ which means she will be given extremely high doses of chemotherapy in order to wipe out her bone marrow. She will then be given back her own stem cells which will hopefully stimulate her bone marrow into making cells. The effects of the chemo can begin at any time but her blood counts will most like be affected 7 to 14 days later. We were told that she will most likely become neutropenic (low white cells which fight infection), aneamic (low red cells which supply oxygen to the muscles, etc) or bleed and bruise easily externally or internally (low platelets which clot the blood). She will be given G-CSF injections every day to stimulate white cell production and can be given red blood cells and platelets transfusions. However, we were told that, as a worst case scenario, she could die from any of these things. We were also told she could get a liver disease called veni occlusive disease which is very difficult to treat. Her doctor said that Olivia will be given drugs to try and prevent it but if she does get it, they can only support it. This disease can also be fatal. We were also told that she could have seizures throughout the procedure.

Of course, the chemo is not without it’s side effects such as vomiting, hair loss (what little she still has), diarrheoa, infertility, possible second cancers, hearing loss, etc.

We were basically told to expect Olivia to get very sick and that she could be in hospital for up to six weeks. Best case scenario would see Olivia come out of transplant (isolation) after only three weeks. That would be fantastic but we’ll have to see how she goes. So far, she has handled her treatment remarkably well. In fact, the doctors and nurses often comment on how well she is coping. She is an amazingly strong little girl and James and I just burst with pride. We’re counting on her strength and courage to get her (and us) through this transplant.

We returned to Canberra in the evening.

Olivia had to continue receiving twice daily G-CSF injections to stimulate her white cell production. She also had to have regular (every second day) finger pricks to check her blood count.

Saturday, 16th December

The results of Friday’s blood test showed that Olivia’s platelets were low. Olivia and I spent all of Saturday morning and part of the afternoon in Canberra Hospital while she had a platelet infusion. She had another blood test that afternoon. This result showed that she required a blood transfusion. Olivia and I then spent all of Sunday in hospital. Thank goodness, she wasn’t admitted overnight. We were very relieved that she did not become febrile this time round, particularly since we were going to the Wiggles’ concert the next day!

There was a lot to do and organize around the house since we were leaving for Sydney tomorrow and I knew that there wouldn’t be much time for us before Christmas.


Monday, 18th December – The Wiggles’ Concert

The big day finally arrived. We were very excited about taking Olivia and Sarah to see the Wiggles at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. Mum, Dad and Bec also drove up to see them with us. Prior to leaving Canberra, we had to take Olivia to Calvary Hospital to have a blood test. This held us up somewhat, and we didn’t end up leaving home as early as we’d hoped. It became a bit of a mad rush to get to the concert in time. As it turns out, we did make it in good time. James dropped Olivia, Sarah and I off while he drove off to find parking. I picked up the tickets and then rang Paul Field (General Manager and Anthony’s brother) to thank him and to organize a ride in the Big Red Car for Olivia. I couldn’t believe it – he had switched off his mobile. I left a message in the hope he would call me back. I panicked so I ran around the entertainment centre with the girls hoping to find someone who might be able to help me with my mission to get Olivia a ride in the Big Red Car. I spoke with one person after the next. Finally, a lady in the box office put me through to the Wiggles PR person. Luckily, she remembered me from when the Wiggles visited Olivia in hospital. She gave me her number and asked me to contact her at the end of the show and she would see what she could organize for us.

We had pretty good seats on the upper level, directly in front of the stage. Prior to the concert starting, I recognized Paul Field amongst the film crew. I went down with Olivia to introduce ourselves and thank him for the tickets. He was lovely and was very interested to hear about how Olivia was going. I was impressed that he took the time to chat with us, even though, he was extremely busy. He told us he would organize something at the end of the show and that Olivia was welcome to go down to the floor, near the stage, at any time during the concert.

The concert was fantastic. Olivia sang and bopped her way through most of the songs. The Wiggles and their dancers spent a fair bit of time mingling with the audience. We went down to the floor at one stage. Whilst Anthony was on stage dancing, he spotted Olivia and I and smiled and waved to us. Sarah, in the meantime, was absolutely exhausted and fell asleep in Mum’s arms.

At the end of the show, we walked down to wait for Paul Field. I felt like the biggest groupie, just hanging around at the end of the concert, hoping that we might meet someone famous! Paul had organized for Olivia to have a ride in the Big Red Car. By this stage, the venue had cleared out and they were beginning to take down the props. We went up to the stage and out came the Big Red Car, shortly followed by Sam, the new yellow Wiggle. He was really lovely. He strapped Olivia into the seat next to his, while Sarah and I sat in Jeff’s seat and James in Anthony’s. Sam drove us around the stage. I think Olivia was a little stunned but, nonetheless, enjoyed it. What an amazing experience! It was something that we’ll never forget!

After the show, we had to say good bye to Sarah as she headed back to Canberra with Mum, Dad and Bec. Of course, once again, I was pretty upset.

On our way to RMH, I rang one of Olivia’s doctors to find out the results of her blood test. The doctor seemed to think that her white cell count would be good enough to collect her stem cells the following day. We were told that she needed to have another blood test at 7.30am the next day and that she also needed to be given her G-CSF injection at 4am! I later spoke with Olivia’s oncologist who told me that one boy’s transplant had been delayed and therefore a bed was available. She asked whether we would be prepared to go ahead with Olivia’s transplant after Christmas. She thought it might be best that we press on with her treatment, especially since Olivia has been coping well with it so far. We agreed on a date – December 29. This news threw us into a spin, it was so unexpected. We were really looking forward to a nice break between Christmas and Olivia’s birthday in mid January but on the other hand, we really want to get her treatment over and done with and put it behind us. I am also feeling very scared about the transplant so for her to have it next week is really very daunting.

Update: The Transplant has been delayed until 3rd Jan 07 - Will post full update shortly.

7 to 10 Dec 06

Thursday, 7 December

Today was fairly uneventful. Once again we spent most of the day trying to keep Olivia entertained, which can be quite a challenge at times. It’s particularly frustrating for her as she’s not allowed out of bed while the chemo is running. She’s lucky, in that, she does get a few hours break from the chemo to allow hydration fluids to run in between doses. This allows us to take her for short walks. She loves it! We take her to the play room or down to the parents’ lounge and to the outdoor verandah. She jumps at any opportunity to go for a walk.

James is staying with Olivia tonight.

Friday, 8 December

Today, the countdown was on for the ward’s Christmas party. Olivia was so excited. It started at about 1.30 but she wanted to go ‘now!’. ‘Now!’ is the word of the moment. EVERYTHING has to happen NOW. The party was to be held in the lounge which meant that all of the children would have to walk there. The head nurse made an exception for the children who were having chemo and she said that it was one day of the year she would allow it as it meant so much to the kids. And it really did. When we got to the party, we sat on the verandah. The music therapist and others were singing Christmas carols and the kids joined in whilst also playing different musical instruments. Their faces beamed. Soon afterwards, Santa arrived with presents for all the kids. Olivia checked him out for a while before she looked at me and nervously said, ‘Mummy, cuddle’. She looked petrified. Anyway, Santa gave her some weird little clay creatures that you can paint with water colours. The older girl sitting next to Olivia burst into tears when she saw her present, saying ‘Santa always gives me horrible presents – every year’. Olivia took one look at this girl’s present, which happened to be a beading kit and said ‘I want that one’. The girl gave it to her. Olivia offered a swap but apparently the girl didn’t like Olivia’s present either! We then went inside and had some party food which Olivia wasn’t so keen on. James, on the other hand, had a feast. He’s also taken quite a liking to the hospital food. This worried me at first (I think it would worry anyone who’s ever tasted hospital food) but I have now realized that I no longer need to be so concerned about the quality of the food that I cook! James will eat anything. [Hi James here – that is not true, I will not eat the pasta mixed with flour and water and passed off as Carbonara!]

I am staying with Olivia tonight.

Saturday, 9 December

Last night was awful. I think I attempted to get to bed at about 10 but there was so much noise and the nurse hadn’t come to change Olivia’s nappy so I eventually had to do that. Olivia’s nappies require changing every two hours – firstly, because the nurses need to weigh them to determine if she is getting enough fluid through her drip to flush the chemo drugs and secondly, because if they’re not changed after two hours, her nappies leak and she wets the bed. I requested several times that her nappies be changed every two hours to avoid bedwetting and me having to get up to do it. Some nurses are reliable but most get too busy or simply forget. Luckily, I woke up just before 12.30 because I noticed that she had a very full nappy so I had to change her. Not long after, I pointed out to the nurse (again) that I would like her nappies changed every two hours. The nurse did come in about 2 hours later to change her nappy (I always wake up anyway – I’m a very light sleeper, especially in the hospital). However, about 20 minutes later, Olivia began vomiting. The poor thing, she was so sick. I always find that part of the treatment really difficult. I always think to myself, I just wish it was me having to go through this and not her. The nurse then came to help me clean up Olivia and change her sheets. Naturally, Olivia was upset but she soon calmed down and seemed to handle the situation well. She’s so strong. Once she settled back into bed, it wasn’t long before she began vomiting again. Luckily, I had a bowl handy and she missed her pj’s and sheets. The nurse came in and we agreed that she should have a dose of Dexamethasone on top of the Ondansatron for the nausea and vomiting. James and I call it ‘the dex’, the dreaded dex. In case I hadn’t mentioned it before in the journal, this is the drug (it’s a steroid) that makes her very agitated and moody. We had big problems with it last time. However. I felt that one dose would be unlikely to make a difference to her behaviour. The nurse indicated that she was surprised Olivia hadn’t been sick already. She said most kids get very sick with the Cisplatin, particularly early on.

It took quite a while for Oli and I to go back to sleep. I spent most of the time comforting her and holding her hand. The other little boy, sharing the bay with us, also woke several times crying with tummy pains. His mother complained the next day that he then stayed awake from 4 am playing his computer games. Olivia and I woke up quite early and I was in a zombie-like state for most of the day. James, on the other hand, boasted about the seven and a half hours sleep he had at RMH. For some reason, I always seem to score the rough nights in hospital.

Olivia seemed to be fine throughout the day. I headed off to see Robbie Williams that evening at Aussie Stadium. Apart from the masses of people also trying to find parking, it was an awesome night. My friend, Tash, gave me a ticket and we went along with her sisters. We had a couple of drinks and really enjoyed the show. It was exactly what I needed. Thanks, Tash! Mind you, I did get trapped on the roof top carpark for over an hour, waiting for the five levels of cars beneath me to get out. I thought I’d never make it out. Luckily, I made it home before brekky!

Sunday, 10 December

Olivia finished her chemo yesterday afternoon but needed to remain in hospital until today to allow her post hydration fluids to run through. When I arrived at the hospital, she was unhooked from her machine. She had to have a chest x-ray and an insurflon put in her leg, so that she could have her twice daily injection of G-CSF. As usual, Olivia wanted to be carried back to RMH, though we were already overloaded with bags full of Oli’s toys and games. We managed to get away just after lunch, anxious to get see our little Sarah. However, as luck would have it, we immediately got stuck in Sydney’s notorious traffic. We eventually made it home late afternoon and were so happy to see Sarah’s smiling face and those big round eyes. All we ever hear are great reports from her Grandma. Apparently, she is always happy and well behaved, and she rarely wakes up during the night, only occasionally for a cuddle. Much to our delight, she has been exactly the same for us when we come home. She is so much fun to be around. She crawls everywhere and often hides (she likes a game of peek-a-boo) and is always pulling herself up on the furniture. The only time we ever really hear her complaining is when she wants to go for a ride in the little car. She can get pretty frustrated if we not quick to get her into the car to push her around. Sarah is talking so much now, of course, none of it makes sense to us, and she does some really funny things like flicking her tongue in and out while making noises to go with it. We are so pleased that she’s settled down at night and I really don’t mind getting up occasionally to give her a cuddle when she needs it.

As it turns out, Olivia was still fairly ill from the chemo and vomited a couple of times in the early evening, despite the anti-nausea medication we’d given her. However, overall, she has tolerated the chemo quite well.

We miss you Sarah!

Our gorgeous little Sarah, who we miss soo much.

18 Nov to 6 Dec 06

Saturday, 18 November

I’m backdating the journal a bit as I haven’t had much time over the past couple of weeks to make any entries. I’ll make it very general.

We returned to Canberra on Saturday. I was so happy to see Sarah. I was getting really anxious to see her. I think that she was pretty happy to have her family home too.

We had some friends around on Sunday which was great. Olivia was feeling fairly tired and run down.

Olivia was due to have her stem cells collected over the coming week in preparation for her bone marrow transplant. We were given very strict instructions regarding her treatment when we returned to Canberra. The timing of the stem cell collection is absolutely crucial so we had to keep a close eye on her blood counts over the week. We were told to return immediately to Sydney once her white cells had reached a certain level. By the end of the week, Olivia required daily finger pricks. She also required two doses/injections per day of G-CSF (this drug stimulates white cell production). This involved nurses visiting our home at around 8.30am and anytime between 6 and 8.30pm. Olivia did not enjoy this at all! Funnily enough, she was always excited to see the nurse at the front door and happily chatted away, sat up on the couch and rolled up her pant leg, showing the nurse where to put the “neetle” – but freaked out as soon as the needle got near her leg. However, it did help somewhat that she was able to participate in the cleaning of the needle site with the alcohol wipes. She was very thorough too!

By Thursday, Olivia had to go to outpatients at the Canberra Hospital to have a blood transfusion. Luckily, the play therapist was around as Olivia was able to paint. We also did some beading and watched Wiggles DVD’s. We were there for around 6 hours.

By Friday morning, Olivia was feeling very tired and decided to take herself back to bed after only being awake for about half an hour. We were concerned that she might be developing a fever. Once the nurse arrived to administer her G-CSF, she also checked her temperature which was about 38.6 which meant she had to go straight to hospital.

I took Olivia to outpatients to begin with. The doctor checked her out and then the nurses took more blood and started her on antibiotics. Olivia had very bad ulcers on one side of her tongue so she found it quite painful to eat. We were able to give her something to help numb the area. Shortly afterwards, Olivia had picked up a little. Andrea, the play therapist, came to see Olivia and gave her a few things to keep her amused. I had a bit of a chat with Andrea (she’s a lovely person to talk to) and also had a bit of a cry (well, a lot, actually, but I think I really needed to let it out). She was very kind and was more than happy to spend her time listening to me.

Olivia was then moved downstairs to the paediatric ward. She was very tired by this stage and it wasn’t long before she fell asleep. During this time, Olivia’s oncologist in Sydney wanted to speak with me. I had to contact her at her home (she’s only part-time). She had told me that another oncologist had contacted her regarding a meeting they’d had involving Olivia’s trephine result (the sample of bone they took from the marrow – it usually takes about 10 days to process). Apparently, the result had come back positive (meaning that there were still neuroblastoma cells present). The oncologists unanimously decided that it would be best not to collect Olivia’s stem cells this time round. I think they like all of the bone marrow to be clear before doing so. Naturally, I was fairly devastated to hear this news. I guess I had my hopes up since her aspirate result came back clear. This set back meant that we no longer needed to go to Sydney and that Olivia’s doctor may attempt to collect Olivia’s stem cells after the next round of chemo. This also means that Olivia will require another bone marrow biopsy prior to the next round of chemo to see if the previous round of chemo may have improved her trephine result.

The problem with collecting stem cells after the next round of chemo is that stem cells aren’t commonly collected after this particular combination of drugs (as they have a slightly different effect on her blood count). Her doctor is currently looking into this. If we find that this can’t be done, then it may mean that Olivia will need an additional round of chemo that includes the same drugs they normally use before collecting stem cells. I’ll be very disappointed if this happens but unfortunately there is absolutely nothing we can do about it.

Getting back to Olivia’s hospital stay…she required platelets on Friday night. They didn’t arrive from Sydney until quite late so this was a little disruptive to our sleep. Olivia and I spent most of Saturday morning painting. Andrea had given her a large canvas to paint on so that she could hang it in the Camp Quality room. James arrived just before lunch and I went home to freshen up and spend some time with Sarah. Bec and I took Sarah to hospital for a visit in the evening. James stayed with Olivia. Apparently, he didn’t have a good night’s sleep as Olivia needed a blood transfusion. The blood didn’t arrive until late that night and the nurses were in and out of the room all night.

Luckily, Olivia was discharged around lunch time on Sunday. She was so happy to be home.

The rest of the week was spent mostly at home, playing with my beautiful girls. Not a single day went by without Olivia wanting to go on the trampoline. This was an early Christmas present for the girls from Mum and Dad. They thought that it would be best to give it to them earlier since Olivia wouldn’t have much time to enjoy it before she has her transplant. Sarah enjoys being bounced on it but is usually more interested in eating the leaves and twigs that have fallen onto it.

On Tuesday, I had to take Olivia to the outpatients clinic to have a blood test, a shot of Vincristine (chemo) and to have her dressing changed. The play therapist has a fairly crucial role in that she is very good at amusing and distracting Olivia during this time. It can take quite a while and she often needs to sit still. However, the nurses are great in involving Olivia in cleaning the injection site on her leg and removing her dressing and other adhesives on her body with the ‘sticky munchers’ (wipes). Olivia is usually treated to lots of stickers and band aids which she then proceeds to plaster her body with.


James managed to go to work from Monday to Friday, without disruption! I managed to catch up with a few friends I haven’t seen in a while and in turn, Olivia and Sarah got to play with their little friends which they really enjoyed. I also managed to get a bit of Christmas shopping done. Mum looked after the girls and I tried to get most of it done in one hit. I knew that I wouldn’t have much more time before Christmas to do it.

My family and I took Olivia and Sarah for a picnic at the park which they really enjoyed. It’s nice to get out with the girls whenever I can. We try to avoid busy venues, like the shops and most other places where kids go. It’s too risky – the last thing we need is for Olivia to get an infection.

Monday, 4 December

This morning was very busy as we packed all of our things for Sydney, again! We left mid afternoon. Once again, I was very upset saying good-bye to Sarah. She is so gorgeous. She’s crawling everywhere and is always pulling herself up on the furniture now. She thinks she’s so clever and gives me a very cheeky grin. Anyway, I know she’s in great hands and she is very comfortable with my mum.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my family and friends for their all their love and support throughout this difficult time. James and I have been overwhelmed and so moved by everyone’s generosity. My Mum, Dad and Bec have been unwavering in their support. I can’t find the words to thank them enough for everything they have done for us. And they have done too many things for us to list, from looking after Sarah when we’re away to making meals and helping me around the house. They’re emotional support has been invaluable and they do everything they can to make our lives as easy as possible. They’re wonderful! Thanks to Auntie Nean for your great support and for all of the delicious meals you have brought over.

I consider myself to be so lucky to have such an amazing group of friends. I’d like to say thank you for all of your emotional support and offers of help. Thanks to all the friends who’ve brought us yummy meals, sent Olivia pressies in hospital or given me hugs when I’ve needed them. Rosie and Garry – you have been a fantastic support to us in Sydney, having us over for meals and just hanging out with me when I need to have a break or when things get tough. James and I would like to pass on a very special thanks to all of those friends who have taken the time to organize raffles for Olivia. We are so moved by your generosity and support, as well as that of the community. I know that there were many people involved in organizing these raffles and we are so appreciative. However, we would like to thank Tash for all your hard work – you’re amazing and have been a very good friend to me throughout all of this. Thanks also to my very special friends Kate, Garry, Rosie and Wendy. I apologise if I haven’t mentioned everyone – I don’t know many details of the raffles, some people have been a little secretive. Although, the purpose of this website has primarily been for family and friends, we would like to thank all of the businesses who have made wonderful donations to these raffles. We have decided that the money raised will assist us with any out of pocket medical expenses and the rest will go into a trust fund for Olivia so that, in the future, she will have the financial support to help her deal with any potential long term side effects of the chemotherapy or any future treatment.

Tuesday, 5 December

Olivia began her day by slipping on the tiles of our room in RMH and knocking her bottom teeth. I ended up covered in blood and she, unfortunately, ended up with a loose tooth. It was quite painful for her and I was upset for her as well since it was the last thing she needed, particularly since she was about to have a general anaesthetic in a few hours. We decided to take her off to the hospital dentist. The dentist seemed to think that, although the tooth was loose, it was just concussed and thought that it would most likely recover. He told us to watch it very carefully to ensure that it doesn’t form an absess or become discoloured. In some cases, the tooth can die.

We then headed off for Olivia’s hearing test (this needed to be tested prior to chemo starting to establish her level of hearing and to see if there has been any hearing loss as a result of the Cisplatin, one of the chemo drugs). Unfortunately, the audiologists couldn’t actually determine Olivia’s level of hearing with the test they used. They did establish that her eardrums and nerve endings were working well.

We took Olivia to have a finger prick test so that the doctor had a record of her blood count before starting chemo. It wasn’t long before we saw her oncologist. We went over the details of the stem cell collection which she is hoping to do after this next cycle of chemo. Of course, this all hinges on Olivia’s bone marrow trephine result. Fingers crossed! We also discussed the plan for all of Olivia’s retesting which will take place during the same week as her stem cell collection. Hopefully, if everything goes according to plan, she won’t require more chemo (apart from transplant) and we will have a nice break from Christmas until the day after Olivia’s birthday. Keep up those prayers!

James and I also had an opportunity to look at Olivia’s CT scans (before and after scans). I initially told her doctor that I did not want to see them as I thought I would find them too upsetting. She seemed to think that I would feel quite pleased and reassured with the results. So I did it. Too be honest, it was very difficult to see anything at all. Even Olivia’s doctor had a bit of trouble identifying some areas of disease. It really does require an eye for detail. However, I could see a considerable difference between scans. Apparently, the radiologists seemed to think that half to two-thirds of the tumour in her spine has shrunk (and that was only after two rounds of chemo). It does look very encouraging.

Olivia went in to have her bone marrow aspirate and trephine at around 2.30pm. It’s always hard watching her go under a general anaesthetic. She woke up briefly from the anaesthetic and then, luckily for us, she went back to sleep for a while. As you may be aware, her previous experiences with anaesthetic haven’t been all that good, to say the least. When she finally awoke, she was quite happy and enjoyed a snack of chocolate. Now we have an anxious wait ahead of us as it can take up to ten days to get the trephine result.

We were finally moved into C2West (the oncology ward). Olivia’s doctor decided it would be best to begin Olivia’s chemo very early the next morning so that the stem cell collection would hopefully work around us attending the Wiggles’ concert on the 18th. Timing can be everything when it comes to Olivia’s treatment. Olivia had to stay in overnight as her pre-hydration fluids were going to begin at about 4am. We managed to take her back to RMH for about an hour in the evening just so that she could get some fresh air and avoid being cooped up in the hospital. James stayed in hospital overnight while I spent the night at RMH, trying to kill cockroaches. I am absolutely petrified of cockroaches so I found it very hard to cope without James (the bug killer in the family).

Wednesday, 6 December

I awoke to find another killer cockroach scurrying around the tiles in our room. It was huge. I didn’t want to go near it. I placed a box over it and slammed it with James’ shoe several times. I asked James to remove it’s body when he went back to the room. As it turns out, it had wasn’t dead, I just disabled it so it was probably a little uncomfortable for a few hours. Those things are hard to kill, no wonder they’ve been around for millions of years.

Before going in to see Olivia, I had to go for a follow up appointment for the grommet I had put in my ear. I need to have a hearing test to check my hearing level in my right ear. Hopefully, I will be able to tie that in with our next visit to Sydney.

Olivia seemed to be in good spirits this morning. When I arrived, the music therapist was there with her guitar and the kids were playing instruments and singing Christmas carols. Olivia really enjoys this time and is always disappointed when it ends. We then spent some time painting and doing some crafty activities Olivia’s little friend, Jack, sent her.

It was a battle to get Olivia to sleep this afternoon. When she finally did, it was for hours! Luckily, she hasn’t been sick from the Cisplatin yet. However, the nurses have warned me to expect it.