Out of the hospital!!

Jessica was released from the hospital Monday the 14th at about 5 p.m. YEAH! Jessica has recovered much more quickly than we all had expected. She is doing so well! We are still waiting on the pathology report, but unless something comes back completely unexpected it will not change the chemotherapy at all. The doctors have decided that the tumor responded so well to the more aggressive treatment that even if pathology still shows more normal wilms, they will continue with the same treatment, which makes sense! Jessica has her first radiation appointment tomorrow, which is basically a practice run through and planning appointment for the actual radiation treatments that will start next Tuesday, March 22nd. She will also have another CT scan tomorrow at primary's, which will aide the radiation oncologist in his plan for Jessica's treatments. We will head home tomorrow around noon, enjoy the rest of spring break in St. George and then head back Sunday the 20th to report for appointments Monday morning. Jessica will meet with the surgeon and then her oncologist. After those appointments, they will admit her to the hospital for a round of chemo. There will be 3 drugs given, but she will only have to receive hydration after and just be watched overnight. Then we start radiation which will be at least a week, possibly two. Radiation is all outpatient, but happens everyday. They should be short visits. The hope is that at Jessica's simulation appt. we will find that she does not have to be sedated each day. Jessica can do it, I know she can!!

Each visit we meet or learn about other families who have and are facing some very big challenges. It is amazing to watch and learn from others. We will all have struggles in our lives, that is part of the plan, but how we react to these challenges is the key. We can learn much from the challenges we face. Through our challenges I really believe that we can become better. We know that life is not always easy, but we know that it is worth it! As we go through challenges with the right perspective, our capacity to love, learn, and move forward, grows. We realize our own potential and often surprise ourselves. I am grateful for the strong examples of families who have been through and overcome so much. We are all in this together.

**Well it is now Wednesday. I never seem to complete a post all in one night. We arrived home Tuesday night. Jessica's simulation for radiation and her CT scan went well. We made it through and were so excited to get on the road for home! We will head back up this Sunday to report for appointments and chemo on Monday. Radiation will start Tuesday. Jessica will have to have 14 days of radiation which will keep us up in S.L.C. for about 3 weeks, because those days consist of the 5 day work week. We may come home on at least 1 weekend, we will see how we are feeling about the drive. Jessica is doing well. She is much more tired and has had a little bit of a temperature at times, but overall is recovering well. She is so happy to be home. There really is NO PLACE LIKE HOME! Thank you again, for all the thoughts and prayers! You are all a great strength to us! So grateful for good friends and family!**