Smooth Sailing

Matthew 12:21 And His name will be the hope of all the world. 

Ruby slept well through the night; she didn't make a peep until 6:30 and even then, it was just her standing up in her crib. I picked her up and brought her to the chair to sit with me in the dark and she fell right back asleep as soon as her head hit my chest. She slept, even though her body was a bit restless, until about 8AM.

Ruby refused to eat anything except homemade protein bars for breakfast, but she was in good spirits otherwise. She definitely does not like taking oral meds right now, which is quite unfortunate because several times a day she has to take an anti-nausea, chemo and one other prescription. Those are not fun times.

We had less activity in the room, which meant we got less fatigued (only one shorter nap today). We did see the chaplain, a friend, and the doctors on rounds. Ruby's chest is sounding clear even though she has a little bit of congestion (sounds like she just needs to cough to clear her throat). No fevers so far and based on her blood work, if she did have a fever, it would likely be due to the chemo rather than infection. (That is good news.)

Just to make things interesting, as Ruby napped, I got a call from the school nurse and Eli was in there with a headache and 100 fever. He needed to be picked up. I was unable and Lehr was in a meeting, but of course our amazing friends jumped right on it and got him, brought him to their home(s) and gave him some Motrin. He was fine the rest of the night, but a little tired. Hoping it is allergies and nothing more serious.

Just before dinner, Lehr came to the hospital to let me go home and be with the kids for the night. As good as it felt to leave, it feels very strange to be home without both Lehr and Ruby. Her room looks so .....quiet. It was good to be home with Maddux and Eli. Friends delivered a DELISH dinner, and we discovered packages of TP, apples and oranges on our front porch. The acts of kindness fairy(s) visited us, I guess!!

Lehr said she was picky at dinner again, even turning down the ice cream he got for her. Her tastes are definitely changing, as is her love of strangers. As happy as she always is to see someone new, the constant barrage of nurses with meds for her is making her a bit clingy when they come in sometimes.

When I keep the door open in Ruby's room, and the few times I've walked around the halls on the Aflac unit, I get to see other kids fighting their own battles. Most are without hair and I can tell that this is not their first rodeo...they just have a different presence about them. They are sauntering down the hall, or playing games in their rooms filled with laughter, or riding around the unit in battery powered cars. Others are in the deep end of chemo fatigue and frailty. They are being pushed in wheelchairs, or pulled in wagons. Regardless of which category they are in, they all seem to have hope. God is here and His mighty work is being done. Because my time outside of the room has been so limited by Ruby's tubes and wires, I have not gotten to meet anyone, but I am anxious to hear how God is working in their lives.