I added new pictures of our Relay today in our picasa albums, clink on the link on the side of the blog, or here. :)
Relay for Life
Friday, June 24, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Flying miss Lucy - warning, not for the faint hearted
First off, forgive any typos. I'm mobile and it doesn't seem to catch or autofill spelling errors. So what was our flying with Lucy like?? Exhausting! Not because he was throwing fits, or scared, but because that girl didn't stop talking from the minute we hit the airport!! She had all sorts of questions and stories, and talked to everybody she met. And Lucy is a loud talker, so I could hear snickers from seats far away from us! The flight from bloomington to atlanta was easy enough. No delays, easy to get where we needed, and with an in flight snack, Lucy felt like a queen. She thought it was all cool. She even got her first flying wings from the flight attendant. Then we landed in Atlanta. We had to go from one side of the airport to the other. Thank goodness Atlanta has that train!! With me, our carryon, her stuff, and Lucy in tow, it would have been much harder if we had to walk that. Atlanta is where things got interesting. First, we realized that we didn't have time to grab a bite to eat at a place that was safe for eat because we only had a short time to catch our connecting flight, so for once in my life, I was thankful I paid $9 for a Gatorade, water, an 2 small bags of fritos!! We finally made our gate and were waiting to board, when we found out our flight was delayed an hour! It wasn't a huge deal, Lucy was content enough entertaining everybody. But the hard part was when I noticed her liquid medication had leaked in our ziploc bag! Thankfully, it hadn't leaked in our bag! So we went to the bathroom to clean it up, and as I was emptyig the bag into the sink, the medicine leaked all over my pants!! Then of course traveling with miss Lucy, all our stuff and going potty was also very interesting. When she had to go, I'd let her go in by herself, and wait right by the stall door, but when I had to use the restroom, I made her go in with me. She didn't like that. He thought she was big enough to wait outside for me. So that was a nice fight, I won! Lol oh and let me back up a bit before I tell you my bathroom story. We are walking around with her. Mask on because there are so many people, I just prefer to be on the safe side, so imagine trying to discipline a child in a public place i's ghats enough, right? Now try doing it to a child who i's being sassy, with hardly any hair and a mask on! She would plant herself solid in the middle of the aisle of the airport! She only did it a couple of times over something silly, but my goodness, that was quite enough! And then there was the escalator incident. I'm certain she's been on one before, but apparently she forgot how to use it. So she's stepping on the thing and doesn't realize she can just stay on one stair and is trying to walk backwards on the thing!! I'm trying to encourage her to walk, hold her without her falling, keep ahold of two bags, her baby and her backpack all whole trying to get on the thing myself!! I have my own fear of the damn things since one time my shoelace got caught in one at a department store when I was in jr high. The embarrassment still haunts me to this day. Anyhow, I finally had to let something go so she wouldn't fall. So there went our bags!!! So we travel to the top of the things while our bags are sitting at the bottom. So now we get to the top, and I try to coax her to go back down to get the bags. No go. We had to take stairs. And a girl trying to maneuver stairs with a ask on i's slower than molasses. Good thing we had Of time of time at that point.
Ok so the bathroom "incident", and I've debated on going public with this. It's not for the faint hearted, so there is your warning!! Stop reading now if you can't handle anatomically correct verbiage. I made Lucy go in the stall with me while I had to use the restroom. I had no choice. Well I tried to get her to turn her head, and face the door, but she wouldn't. So I tried to pee and hurry as fast as I could, but she was too quick. Now she has seen me before in the bathroom, so I'm not sure where the questions came from that she already had answers to, but there we were with a very LOUD little girl asking such things like: why does your (here it comes) vagina look different than mine? And then wouldn't nature just make it so I would be having my lady time while she is in there. And she YELLED "oh mommy, you have a big band aid!! Are you ok? Do we need to get a doctor? Does it hurt?" I heard snickers and possibly uncontrollable laughter as I was dying of embarrassment. I debated whether I should go public with something so personal, then I remembered, it wasn't so personal after we walked out of the Atlanta airport bathroom. She even told a few people we were sitting next to while waiting for the plane! Try explaining THAT to your 3 yr old in front of a group of people! People were either laughing or mortified, which Im certain is the reaction from those reading this. So my public announcement goes out to all mothers: think twice about flying solo with young children during yor "time", if at all possible, avoid the situation all together. My cheeks are still stained dark dark red even now telling the story over. And I tried to be the least offensive as possible, she was not discreet at all. I really just wanted to sit in that stall until our flight left hoping anybody in there during our "incident" had long gone by time we made our quick get away!!!
So we ended up having about a 2 hr flight delay in Atlanta, and I'd say Lucy did pretty well.she was occupied by talking to nearby passengers, even trying to weasel her way onto one young ladie's lap so she could play her game on her iPhone. I had to remind her it wasn't polite to just go up and nudge people to sit on their laps! Once we got on the plane, and got going, she finally crashed for the flight. It was a 45 minute or so flight, so a small victory on my part was the nap and quietness!! No more stories! On the plane, we met a man whose daughter had ALL when she was 4, she's 14 now. As we were getting our luggage, we were able to meet her. She was a beautiful young lady and her doctor was dr Pui too!! She said hello to Lucy, and I don't think Lucy understood what was going on, but I did! And I sooo needed to see that!
So we caught the shuttle to the hospital, and that i's where Lucy decided to sing ;) there were 3 families total on te shuttle plus the driver and her song of choice was "8 days a week". The entire song. Several times over and over. The other families were giffling, and mind you she wasn't softly singing with her baby. She was singing in a VERY loud voice!!! As the families were being dropped at their locations, they thanked her for the entertainment and said they enjoyed her singing voice very much. As the shuttle driver dropped us off at the grizzly house, she grabbed her friend to see if Lucy would sing for her, of course she wouldn't. Said she was done! Lol
Whew! I'm exhausted telling that story just as much as I was yesterday when we finally got here. So today is procedure. We go in at 8 am.
If anybody is
Ok so the bathroom "incident", and I've debated on going public with this. It's not for the faint hearted, so there is your warning!! Stop reading now if you can't handle anatomically correct verbiage. I made Lucy go in the stall with me while I had to use the restroom. I had no choice. Well I tried to get her to turn her head, and face the door, but she wouldn't. So I tried to pee and hurry as fast as I could, but she was too quick. Now she has seen me before in the bathroom, so I'm not sure where the questions came from that she already had answers to, but there we were with a very LOUD little girl asking such things like: why does your (here it comes) vagina look different than mine? And then wouldn't nature just make it so I would be having my lady time while she is in there. And she YELLED "oh mommy, you have a big band aid!! Are you ok? Do we need to get a doctor? Does it hurt?" I heard snickers and possibly uncontrollable laughter as I was dying of embarrassment. I debated whether I should go public with something so personal, then I remembered, it wasn't so personal after we walked out of the Atlanta airport bathroom. She even told a few people we were sitting next to while waiting for the plane! Try explaining THAT to your 3 yr old in front of a group of people! People were either laughing or mortified, which Im certain is the reaction from those reading this. So my public announcement goes out to all mothers: think twice about flying solo with young children during yor "time", if at all possible, avoid the situation all together. My cheeks are still stained dark dark red even now telling the story over. And I tried to be the least offensive as possible, she was not discreet at all. I really just wanted to sit in that stall until our flight left hoping anybody in there during our "incident" had long gone by time we made our quick get away!!!
So we ended up having about a 2 hr flight delay in Atlanta, and I'd say Lucy did pretty well.she was occupied by talking to nearby passengers, even trying to weasel her way onto one young ladie's lap so she could play her game on her iPhone. I had to remind her it wasn't polite to just go up and nudge people to sit on their laps! Once we got on the plane, and got going, she finally crashed for the flight. It was a 45 minute or so flight, so a small victory on my part was the nap and quietness!! No more stories! On the plane, we met a man whose daughter had ALL when she was 4, she's 14 now. As we were getting our luggage, we were able to meet her. She was a beautiful young lady and her doctor was dr Pui too!! She said hello to Lucy, and I don't think Lucy understood what was going on, but I did! And I sooo needed to see that!
So we caught the shuttle to the hospital, and that i's where Lucy decided to sing ;) there were 3 families total on te shuttle plus the driver and her song of choice was "8 days a week". The entire song. Several times over and over. The other families were giffling, and mind you she wasn't softly singing with her baby. She was singing in a VERY loud voice!!! As the families were being dropped at their locations, they thanked her for the entertainment and said they enjoyed her singing voice very much. As the shuttle driver dropped us off at the grizzly house, she grabbed her friend to see if Lucy would sing for her, of course she wouldn't. Said she was done! Lol
Whew! I'm exhausted telling that story just as much as I was yesterday when we finally got here. So today is procedure. We go in at 8 am.
If anybody is
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Planes, trains, and hospital shuttles
Well today we head for memphis for a 3 day excursion, actually one of those days is at the hospital, the other two are travel days. Since it was just a one day appointment, we decided it would be easiest to fly this round. Driving usually takes an extra 4 days since Lucy can't quite handle the entire 7-8 hours in one sitting. She never was a very good car traveler, even pre-cancer. She gets motion sickness, like me. Today she we will experience her first plane ride. I asked if she was excited, and she replied with "no, because I don't like procedure. The white stuff that tastes like yucky milk (they can taste what is given into their port), and she said she doesn't like to throw up. There hasn't been a procedure yet that hasn't made her throw up. They still don't have her cocktail of meds right and its been changed a few times. I will let them know again they are going to have to try something different. She has now developed an aversion to procedure. And there are many more lumbar punctures with chemo to go.
The only downside couple of downsides to the train are as follows: airport and airPlanes = germs. So I'm making her wear her mask the whole trip. And of course there is no direct flight to memphis, so we have 2 hr layovers in Atlanta. Both ways. So I have to keep a masked, possibly nuetropenic child entertained for 2 hrs while limiting her exposure. Hmm, I'm always up for a challenge.
Sowe have taken the train to memphis, our swagger wagon, and now a plane today. Once we get there, we are reliant upon the hospital shuttle to get us to our destination. Normally, we would be staying at the grizzly house for short trips, but I hear they are pretty swamped, and the RMH is also full. So either target house or the marriot is where we will land our Heads for the evening.
I will let everybody know how the plane trip goes and try to take lots of pictures! Tomorrow, we are in appointments and. Procedure all day, and Thursday we fly home.
I also wanted to let everybody know that Friday, at the relay for life at normal west, if Lucy is feeling well, we are doing the child lap and survivor lap! Come and rot her on. When I get exact times, I'll post them.
The only downside couple of downsides to the train are as follows: airport and airPlanes = germs. So I'm making her wear her mask the whole trip. And of course there is no direct flight to memphis, so we have 2 hr layovers in Atlanta. Both ways. So I have to keep a masked, possibly nuetropenic child entertained for 2 hrs while limiting her exposure. Hmm, I'm always up for a challenge.
Sowe have taken the train to memphis, our swagger wagon, and now a plane today. Once we get there, we are reliant upon the hospital shuttle to get us to our destination. Normally, we would be staying at the grizzly house for short trips, but I hear they are pretty swamped, and the RMH is also full. So either target house or the marriot is where we will land our Heads for the evening.
I will let everybody know how the plane trip goes and try to take lots of pictures! Tomorrow, we are in appointments and. Procedure all day, and Thursday we fly home.
I also wanted to let everybody know that Friday, at the relay for life at normal west, if Lucy is feeling well, we are doing the child lap and survivor lap! Come and rot her on. When I get exact times, I'll post them.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Lucy Pre-Cancer
This was 2 months before Lucy's diagnosis. She is always in her underwear! and has a messy face ;) looks like chocolate. She was telling me all about the Beatles....
Saturday, June 18, 2011
TV interviews and Tattoos
Well we had our TV interview for St. Jude's telethon scheduled to air August 6th. They were here for about 3 hours getting footage and doing interviews. Lucy was a bit nervous during her actual sit down interview, but did great with candid shots and questions. She chose her own outfit, so beware..... it was a Beatles shirt (of course), and a tutu along with her mary janes. My interview was about 40 minutes, so I hope they can edit some of that to get something good. Anybody that knows me, knows I don't have issues talking. I thought I would be more nervous than I was. It wasn't bad after I got used to just looking at the camera dude. I told Steve, our cameraman and interviewer, that Zach would be the comic relief. Zach said he was too nervous to be funny. He said a shot of whiskey prior would have helped. They asked me what if I was live and were looking straight into the camera, what is the one thing I would say to get people to donate to St. Jude. I said "Lucy is my daughter, but what if she was yours?". I never dreamed in a million years this would happen to our family, and no matter how cliche that sounds, its so true. Steve said he thought we were slated for the 1st hour of the telethon and that they would show our story, and then we would be on live. YIKES! I hope people don't turn off the TV after seeing us.
So that Covers the first T for TV....on to Tattoos. Yep, I got one! Zach has an appointment scheduled for his. Why tattoos? Because we were feeling reckless. We haven't had a chance to be anything but, and it sounded like a good idea. We have been talking about it for a while. Mine was easy, so I got it done in less than 20 minutes....Zach's will take longer. And anybody that knows him, knows this is a BIG deal. He used to pass out if he saw a needle. He said after our experience and everything that Lucy has been through, there is no fear anymore. I'll post his as soon he gets it, its a surprise on what he is going to get......
So that Covers the first T for TV....on to Tattoos. Yep, I got one! Zach has an appointment scheduled for his. Why tattoos? Because we were feeling reckless. We haven't had a chance to be anything but, and it sounded like a good idea. We have been talking about it for a while. Mine was easy, so I got it done in less than 20 minutes....Zach's will take longer. And anybody that knows him, knows this is a BIG deal. He used to pass out if he saw a needle. He said after our experience and everything that Lucy has been through, there is no fear anymore. I'll post his as soon he gets it, its a surprise on what he is going to get......
Friday, June 17, 2011
Why is Taco so important??
For some of you, you will remember that the Webers had tried to start a blog a while ago, and with how busy life was, we just let it go to the way side. I do, however, have some of those first blogs that we typed. For those of you who don't know our family very well, this will give you insight to our family (the inappropriateness I mentioned earlier), and why Taco is a staple in our life. Here was my husbands first blog: warning: there are a few profanities in it ;)
My ass is on FIRE!
Ever have one of those days, where the most unexpected shit happens before you even leave the house? For example, someone pukes, an infant shits on you, you forget to put on a shirt and leave for work?
Two years ago, Shawna thought it would be a great idea to get a new puppy for our anniversary. Lucy was already 3 months old. I think the underlying reason for the dog purchase was the fact that woman, for the most part, are weird. There is a constant need for some type of baby in the house, and a dog seems to be the perfect replacement... Anyway, we named the Dachshund "Taco". Taco the wiener dog.
On a nice spring morning, I got up, had my coffee, smoked on the back porch and jumped into the shower. As the hot water starts to pour over me, I notice a very different sensation almost immediately. Thinking I'm just not "awake" yet, I try to ignore it. It's a burning sensation, and it's getting worse. Soon, I realize I AM awake, and I am in serious pain... My ass feels like it's on fire. Quickly, I yell for Shawna to come look at my ass. "What's it look like? Is there something on it?!", I ask. Immediately she's laughing, to the point of tears. "What is it?!", I ask. "Your ass has no skin!, Taco scratched your ass off!!!", she says.
So there I am... Standing naked in the shower, without ass-skin, while my wife laughs so hard she cries... Turns out that Taco must have been "digging" and trying to make a comfortable spot to lay that night. While he was "getting comfortable", he scratched most of the skin off my right butt-cheek. What a horrible way to start the day.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Welcome to the blog
For those of you coming from our caringbridge site, WELCOME to the new format. For those of you who are new, you may find some of the first posts to be a bit confusing if you don't know the background of our story. You can visit caringbridge.org and type in lucyweber1 to read our past history. Basically, we are doing a new site to allow pictures, more content, and quite frankly to make it more user friendly so I am not typing something in Team Lucy on FB and then re typing it on caringbridge. And I know a lot of followers, don't read FB, so this will help to share pictures easier too.
So our name really does explain it all. We have 2 kids, a dog named Taco, and cancer that consumes 99% of our life. All while trying to stay "normal" and work. We are a bit on the eccentric side, and use humor in pretty much all uncomfortable situations, sometimes not appropriate situations....just to warn you.
We are the Webers, and having been faced with the horrible news that our little girl has leukemia feel like we need to share our story to help other families going through a similar situation and to spread the word about our wonderful home away from home...St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)