ChloeWatts.com

Dad & Grandma’s blog (#2) for July 22, 2008

This evening’s blog has been especially difficult to write, as it’s obvious we have lost sight of how sick our little girl truly is. While visiting at Dad’s house, she is eating three (or more) meals a day, which she hasn’t done in over two years. This morning, she ate two bowls of cereal for breakfast before Ramona and I went off to work. Then, Grandma took her to Fred Meyers to get a new backpack for school…which was an exhausting trip; she was able to squeeze out a joyful smile over her purchase. She was unable to really eat a good lunch today because she was nervous about her doctor appointment today…hoping she would get the news she could get rid of the feeding bags. Yes, she was disappointed, yes, she was hoping she wouldn’t have to wear it any more…because in Chloe’s words, SHE DOESN’T FEEL SICK ANY MORE!!!!

Then, after being completely wiped out from her doctors visit, Grandma, Colin and Chloe went to Izzy’s for an early dinner….because Chloe was hungry!! She got and ate two (2) slices of pizza, a helping of mashed potatoes and gravy, potato salad, and she ate Grandma’s shrimp salad off her plate…and then went back for tapioca pudding and a gooey sweet roll. The two empty plates in front of her in the picture are hers – a sight none of us are used to seeing.

When Ramona and I came home from work this evening, Colin and Chloe were bantering back-and forth over a Playstation II game they were playing (Chloe won!), and then decided to play a game of Skip-Bo, where they continued to banter over who was going to beat who. Yes, her visit to Dads house has been exhausting…because she’s healing from the surgery, and the daily fevers are GONE, and she is having FUN playing like a little girl. There has been some water spilled in our house, but floors dry.

We are proud of the progress Chloe has made since the July 12th weekend … BIG NEWS….CHLOE IS GETTING BETTER EVERY DAY!!! And, after having a sister and brother who have both experienced major head trauma – one being a brain tumor – we have learned that keeping her thinking positive and laughter are the best medicine for her.

We all look forward to hearing from the nutritionalists as to when she can take out the feeding tube. Until then, she will continue to gain the benefit of having the feeds daily, as well as all the food she is taking in by mouth. I hope MY little girl gets better soon, as it would be devastating to lose her after she has gotten so much better.

Grandma is guilty of hearing as much as Chloe heard of the Oncologist’s words. But Grandma is also guilty of explaining to her the reason the doctor will probably leave the line in for her feeds. She is getting 1500 to 1800 calories a day with the feeds and they are important to restore her body to healthy 9 yr old level. The thing I learned from caring for 2 of my own children after brain surgery is that if they don’t have an understanding of what’s happening to them, or a hope of getting better, they tend to just give up. I will not let this precious granddaughter of mine give up.

David & Grandma