6 weeks of treatment completed!

Hi everyone

The last 2 days Sara has spent enjoying the fact that it was a weekday and that she didn't have to go to hospital! Yes, Sara finished the treatment regime for the first 6 weeks on Wednesday with a round of chemo and a blood transfusion which meant we didn't get home until late. Mac McNamara visited with Sara during the evening while she was having the transfusion and it was great to see him and have a bit of a catch up.

Sara is doing well but is still getting tired and resting quite a lot. She has come through this first treatment phase very well and the staff at the hospital are very pleased with how she has done. Many, many thanks to all the staff involved with Sara's treatment over the last 6 weeks in both radiotherapy and CHOC - we have all felt well supported by the friendly staff.

So Thursday and Friday were relatively a quiet couple of days for Sara, but there is a bit going on this weekend! Friday afternoon Caitlin visited Sara and stayed for tea with Sue and Willis. It was really good to see some more Twizel friends and fantastic for Sara to catch up with Caitlin, just talking and having fun. Sara also got the other part of her Twizel rowing kit - a peaked Maadi 2006 Twizel colours cap personally delivered by coach Dean! The evening was finished off with the close match between the Tall Blacks and the Aussies - what a great game and cool to watch. Yes, basketball is the big game in Twizel and Sara is a keen player so she stayed up to watch the game.

Today has been a busy R& R day. Rob got up early and started this blog, then got distracted and went off to check out the surf while the girls caught up on some zzzzzzzss. Hugo, Jane and Harry visited around lunchtime and we sat and talked and watched the yachts having a sail on the estuary. Kate rang and we all talked with her which was great - she only has 3 days of work left and will be home two weeks tomorrow. Tonight we had tickets (courtesy of the Child Cancer Foundation - thank you Cynthia) to the Warriors match. We have just got home from that and Sara had a great time especially in the second half when a lot of the action was down our end. It was fun despite the fact we haven't really watched it before and certainly wouldn't choose it as our mastermind topic!

Tomorrow we have Aunty Haybale - Helen (Rob's sister) and friend Henry Kavale visiting from Twizel. We also scored some tickets to the Canterbury Rams / Otago Nuggets basketball game at Westpac stadium, so we are off to that in the afternoon. What with a bit of Games watching it really is a weekend of sport! Yes Bob, we will be cheering for the Rams, with our Canterbury blood!

We are on at least a 2 week break now from any treatment but will be staying around Christchurch for the next few days as Sara has a blood test, a possible transfusion depending on this test and healing touch and art therapy on Monday and Tuesday. The oncology staff are in the process of working out the plan for the next phase of treatment during this break. So, we are going to just enjoy the free time over the next couple of weeks and take it as it comes.

Enjoy the rest of your your weekend, whatever it may bring - and good luck to our Twizel rowers, Sara is there in spirit even if she can't drown out the rock band from the sidelines!

TTFN
Sara Sue Rob and Kate ( in the powder at Angel Fire)

Friday night - a few photos from the last few days!

Hi everyone

Just posted a few photos from the last few days. Enjoy.

Sara has had a good week, all straight forward and routine with a blood transfusion yesterday. We are ready for another weekend and some R&R. Only 2 radios and 2 chemos to go and this 6 week treatment period is finito! The next stage is still to be worked out but we should know more about it next week!

Off for another wine!

Catch you later

Rob. Sue and Sara

Sara and nurse Sam and Sara's latest wig - cool eh bro!

A visit from Clare and Mackenzie!

Sara's Orchid - a few people have wanted to see this - here it is just beautiful like the girl herself!

More than a week of news!

Hi everyone

Another weekend has gone by and we had a very relaxed time with lots of rest for Sara. It has been cold here in Christchurch for the last couple of days and its another cool one this morning, so a lot of time spent inside. Alan Gleave came over Saturday night for dinner and Sara and Alan enjoyed some time together including watching a movie. She enjoyed hearing about the rowing results from Twizel during the weekend, both from the bloggers and texters and on Newstalk ZB - well done to Caitlin and Zoe for the fantastic results - no doubt a little disappointing that Sunday's races were cancelled. Sara wore her rowing top on Sunday as a good luck charm but it obviously didn't work a treat!

Sara had her best week last week since before the start of radiotherapy. She was feeling much better and the medication for the various side effects seems to be working well. Thursday's blood transfusion which went smoothly, was also a positive step after the previous one where she reacted to the blood. Following the blood transfusion, which was being given to raise her haemaglobin levels (dealt to by the radiation treatment) she felt much more energetic.

On Friday, Sara reached the three quarters mark for the radiotherapy treatment, she now has only 7 treatments to go to complete the 6 week treatment. Friday afternoon we finished at the hospital and then went into town for a bit of retail therapy for Sara and then had a meal out together.

Sara had another healing touch session with Debbie Carter during the week and this will be a regular event for the next few months. She is really enjoying this session and Debbie is great with her and helping Sara feel positive and giving her lots of strength and ways to take her through the radio and chemo side effects. While the radio and chemo are dealing with the disease the healing touch along with the relaxation and meditation sessions from Nicki are allowing Sara and us to take a more holistic approach to healing Sara.

The week was busy with the routine things like the daily trip to the hospital for radio,plus the chemo on Monday and Wednesday, visits from the OT and dietician and the healing touch and relaxation sessions and an art therapy session. We also finalised the antioxidant treatment for Sara with CHOC and Dr Ted Pearson and visited Cynthia at the Child Cancer Foundation. The Foundation have been fantastic in helping us with information and funding some of the additional costs we are faced with - a big thank you to them from us. And Cynthia gave Sara a box of bubble gum for jaw exercises which Sara is very excited about! Plus she also got a Gallaz cap signed by Silver Fern, Vilimaina Davu - how cool is that!

On Friday we had a meeting with Clare (Sara's art teacher from Twizel), Art Therapist, Diana and the Regional Health School teacher Sarah to discuss the art units which Sara will work her way through over the next few months, when she feels up to it. It was great to get everyone involved together and Sara feels really positive about doing some art. The art therapy with Diana has also been really helpful in helping her cope and deal with things in a holistic way.

It was great to see Clare and Mackenzie on Thursday and Friday and Sara really enjoyed spending time with her nearly 3 year old friend. We hadn't seen Clare and Mackenzie since December.

Kate is enjoying some powder snow at last but only has 2 weeks till closing date. She is hoping to take a trip up to Colorado before coming home on the 10th April.

This week all the treatments are in the afternoon so its relaxed mornings for all of us this week.

Thanks to everyone for all the blogs, texts and cards and pressies - they continue to be an inspiration and provide great pleasure to all of us, especially Sara.

TTFN
Sara, Sue Rob and Kate (in NM)

Photo time!

Hi everyone

Just loaded a few more photos from the weekend. Will post a few words tomorrow - time to head home and pick up Sara and Sue from CHOC where Sara has been getting a blood transfusion. She is going OK but very tired after a long day which started at 8.30am this morning. Catch you later.

Rob, Sara and Sue.

Reuben Thorne signs the cap and the collection of Crusader souvenirs and signatures!

CRUSADER TIME - Dealing to the Blues!!

The thrill of opening some pressies in the weekend!

Friday again................

Hi everyone

Sara here .....Just put a few photos up from this week - hope they make you smile ...we had fun doing them! I especially likes the photo of DAD playing playstation in CHOC! ROB YOUNG PLAYING PLAYSTATION........even I don't know how to play playstation. Pity he had to get a lesson from the CHOC expert......... 6 year old Eddie! I'm looking forward to a red and black facepaint for tomorrow night! Go the Crusaders!!!


Love
Sara

This weeks hairstyle and ...........mugshot!

The bloggers from radio with Sara (Anthea and Miranda), Tania and Sara sorting out the chemo........and meanwhile Rob has found a playstation!

Sunset from Redcliffs.................and Sara in the "golden" sandpit.