Tuesday

Tuesday was our big day for procedures.  Since Natasha was diagnosed, (7 months after Abigail) we had hoped to coordinate their care so that their chemo cycles were together.  We figured that this would be easier--like ripping off a band aid.  Our first chance to do this came in October, but, of course, Abigail was too sick and only Natasha had the LP (spinal chemo), vincristine (another chemo) and steroid pulse (5 grumpy steroid filled days).  This is medical talk for "Really Bad Week".  I was pretty excited to just have it all done at once and then over for 3 months.  My sweet husband took the morning off of work to be with us and it made all the difference.  After accessing their ports for a blood draw, the doctor came to examine them.  She was a new doctor that hadn't met us yet so we had to give her the run down.  She was a good sport about the fact that she had to check the dolls mouth and Strawberry Shortcake's mouth before she could look in one of the girls' mouths.  She had to do this with ears, stomachs, and hearts.  Eventually, Natasha just took her stethoscope and proceeded to finish the job herself.  I'm not sure the doctor expected my girls to take charge quite so much!  Because they had on their cute Dollie and Me outfits (a splurge even on clearance), it looked just like they were playing doctor to themselves.  I love it when they can turn something typically stressful into an adventure.

We got the okay to go downstairs to surgery and got to start all over again playing with a new set of people.  Abigail and Natasha LOVE new people and attention so it's fun for them to visit different places inside the hospital.  I was really excited that this time they actually let me come in and watch the procedure.  In the past I was only able to drop them off and then leave as they fell asleep.  I always wanted to be a doctor so this was fascinating for me to see.  I love that kind of stuff.  I was still able to join Josh in time for the recovery of the first girl.  I love that they are so peaceful when they sleep after anesthesia.  Peaceful isn't always the right word when they wake up... more like demanding.  Good thing Dad was there to dote on them.

We were told that the girls might act sleepy that day, but we knew better.  This is what happened when I took a phone call in the other room:

Yes, they have recently learned to open the refrigerator door.  Not really a skill I was working on with them.  I am just lucky that the lid was still on the chocolate sauce.  A few weeks ago I cleaned a whole can of soy sauce off the floor and my house smelled like a Chinese restaurant for two days!  Sorry for the mostly naked child.  She doesn't like to keep the same thing on for very long, and sometimes she just wants nothing.  This is when it's good that we live in the Sunshine State so she doesn't freeze.