Home Sweet Home

Abby completed round two of chemo today. Two down, two to go. Besides the allergic reaction on the first day, this week went pretty smoothly. Doctors mentioned that only one kid a year has a reaction to the medication a year. Abby's tumor is rare and so was her reaction to the medication. While most kids are allergic to peanuts and cats, Abby is allergic to chemo :) 

She was discharged this evening from the hospital. Abby will continue to have weekly labs done for white and red blood cell counts and platelet counts. In addition, she will have another sedated MRI and lumbar puncture (spinal tap) in two weeks to see how the tumor is responding to treatment. 

Abby's appetite is poor and did not eat much this week. She continues to loose her hair. It is thinning rapidly and is getting patchy. 

Round Two- never a dull moment

Abby's blood levels increased which means she could begin round two of chemo. She was admitted to the hospital today and began chemotherapy around 5pm. She receives 2 chemo medications over a 3 hours span. The first one is given for and hour and the second one is given for two hours. Approx. 10 minutes into the second medication Abby had a severe allergic reaction to the medication. She complained of dizziness, headache and was holding her throat because it was swelling. Her skin started getting blotchy. Nurses rushed in and gave her a shot with the Epi Pen and followed it with Benadryl. Chemo has stopped for today and will resume tomorrow with a different type of medication. Abby slept a lot this evening and seems to be doing OK. 

"Abby's Carnival"

Girl Scout Troop 1526 is hosting a fundraising carnival in honor of Abby. We hope to see you there and help us raise money and support the Radke family.

Friday, May 14th

4:00 pm-7:30 pm

at Nicolas Valley Elementary School

39600 North General Kearny

Temecula

Please join us for games, jumpies, food, silent auction and family fun!

Special thanks to Mrs. T, Shelley, Krista, Terri and Girl Scout Troop 1526 for organizing this event!

Today's Blood Test

Blood test results today showed that Abby's levels have increased slightly although they are still considered low. She did not require a blood transfusion today. She will have another blood test on Tuesday April 27th. If her levels have improved she will be admitted to the hospital that day to begin round two of chemotherapy. 

Preparing for Round Two

Abby is scheduled to start round two of chemotherapy on Tuesday, April 27th. This is all dependent on her blood levels. Her labs drawn on April 13th showed decreased levels of white and red blood cells and decreased platelets. This was to be expected. Follow up lab work on April 20th showed continued decrease of all levels. It was the hope that the levels would increase this week to be able to receive the next round of chemo. Abby will go back on Friday, April 23rd to repeat all blood work. At this time she is dangerously low of all levels and may need a blood transfusion and possibly a bone marrow transplant as well. She is considered neutropenic which is a term used for chemo/ cancer patients who have low white blood cells and needs to be on a neutropenic diet as well. This diet means eating food with no bacteria. All food must be prepared at home to avoid contact from restaurant cooks and germs. All food needs to be cleaned well and fresh fruits and vegetables must be peeled. 

Abby is doing well. She has a great attitude and is acting normal. She gets tired and takes a nap almost every afternoon. She looks a little pale and puffy which is a result of the steroids she is taking. Her hair is starting to come out in her brush and on her pillow in the morning. 

Let's hope her levels start to increase by Friday! 

Scottsdale, AZ Restaurant Fundraiser

"A Celebration of Hope and Love - A Benefit for Abby Radke"

Peter Piper Pizza in Scottsdale AZ  

Thursday, May 13th at 4:o0 PM - 9:00 PM

Peter Piper Pizza is located on Frank Lloyd Blvd at Hayden

During the fundraiser there will be a raffle, kids t-shirts and kids visors for sale and bracelets.

This event is being hosted by Terri McSherry, Marie White, Joan Olson, Candy Terris, Samantha Holligan and Terri Carman.

Those unable to attend may make a donation in the name of Abigail Radke. Checks should be sent to Terri McSherry: 5046 E. Peak View Road, Cave Creek, AZ 85331

Home to a Germ Free Zone

Abby was discharged from the hospital today. She did really well with her first round of chemo. Doctors and Nurses explained that the effects of chemo will come 5-7 days after chemo. Meaning, she may feel tired, nauseous, lose of appetite, start losing hair and generally feel weak. The chemo eliminated cell division in her body and now her body needs to recover from that. She will have blood tests once a week to test white blood bells, red blood cells and platelets and see how they are restoring. During this time, Abby is susceptible to infection and illness. It is important for her to stay in a germ free environment (as much as possible) to stay healthy. She also needs to stay healthy to be able to get the next round of chemo.  Abby will be home schooled. She cannot go in crowded germ filled places (mall, grocery store, restaurants or even the park due to germs on the play equipment). No flowers or exposure to plants and grass due to the pollen and fungus she could inhale. It is a whole new way of life. 

Flowers

Please do not send flowers to Abby. The nurse informed us that Abby cannot inhale pollen and fungus on some plants and flowers. Thank you!

4-7-10

Today was a better day.  Matthew (cousin) and I (Auntie Julie) visited in the morning. We were able to play with Abby, Cori and Craig in the playroom at the hospital. We made art projects, played air hockey and played UNO. We had lunch together before starting her next chemo treatment. Abby's appetite was pretty good today. In the afternoon, Mason, Carly, Grandma Jackie and Bridget (cousin) came to visit. She enjoyed seeing everyone and playing. Chemo treatment went better today. She responded well and did not seem to have the side effects as bad today. One more day of chemo. She may go home as early as Friday, but that is all dependent on her sodium levels which are a little low today.

Round One

Abby was admitted to Children's Hospital yesterday to begin chemotherapy. She was supposed to start yesterday, but there was some confusion about lab work that needed to be done 24 hours before starting chemo, so today was her first day.  Yesterday started out rough. Abby got very afraid when they tried to access her port and needed several people to restrain her to allow them to get to the port. I don't think it actually hurt her too badly, but more so that she was scared and felt out of control. The room she was assigned is not private and had a patient in yesterday, but was discharged yesterday afternoon. Today, she has the room to herself and hopefully it stays that way as long as possible. The room is very small. This afternoon she got her first dose of chemotherapy. She will receive chemo treatments 3 hours a day for 3 days. Cori and Craig said she was doing well until approx 30 min before the treatment was over. I got to the hospital today just as she was completing the treatment. She was in obvious discomfort and complaining of feeling dizzy, nauseous, headache and stomach ache. She is on medication for the nausea and the stomach ache is from the steroids. She is given medication for the stomach pain and is being tapered off the steroid. 

Abby has a "Child Life Specialist" which helps her through the process and explains things to her at a child"s level.  Today she talked to Abby about cancer, chemo and some of the things that may happen to her (hair loss, feeling sick, etc.) I think it was shocking and overwhelming to her as it is for all of us who know and love her. 

Gold / Silver Fundraiser for Abby

Hostesses: Theresa Valade

When: Friday, April 16th 10am-noon (open house, come by anytime between 10-12)

Contact Info: tevalade@cox.net or 480.235.4043

Theresa is donating all of her proceeds from the fundraiser to help pay for Abby's medical bills.

Do you have gold jewelry you no longer wear? Broken chains or rings? Unused earrings because you lost one of the pair? Gold from dental work? Silver serving pieces, flat wear, etc? Valley Goldmine is a highly reputable gold and silver buyer in Arizona, with a perfect record from the Better Business Bureau. ABC 15 rated Valley Goldmine #1 for the highest prices in a Consumer Report. They buy gold including white, yellow and tri-colored, coins, scrap gold, sterling silver, silver and platinum. 

Can't be there? No problem!  Just mail your items to Theresa or you can drop them off at her home.  Simply put them in a zip lock bag with your full name and address and she will hand deliver or mail your check to you on April 16th.  Out of State?  No problem as well!  Just mail your items to Theresa no later than April 14^th and she will mail your check to you on April 16^th.  The jewelers will remove any gemstones you wish to keep for later use, just let her know. 

Please RSVP no later than April 10^th.  Please let Theresa know if you will be attending, dropping off or mailing your items to her.  Thanks for your support!  Together we can help Abby and make some extra money at the same time!