September

Only 1 Chemo Treatment Left…

Written September 17th, 2013 @ 9:10pm

Crystal’s Benefit at Pizza Ranch was wonderful.  Thank you for your kinds words, gifts and donations.  It is a feeling I can’t describe when people are so open and ready to help.  Like I have said before it is very humbling.

The benefits we have had have helped our family in so many ways.  The medical bills keep piling up and some days that can make you very depressed.  So again, thank you for taking the time to reach out to us.  It has helped us financially and emotionally.

Crystal was very sad that she could not attend the event.  Crystal was very sick and stayed home to catch up on much needed rest.  She was so torn.  She wanted to come but even though the desire was there the energy was not.  I must say I was sad but so happy she was resting.

When you try to act not sick, and are taking chemo, and then doing everything that you would have done even if you were not on the meds, it eventually will catch up with you.  Crystal is learning this finally, oh goodness how I love her attitude.

Today is a new day.  Crystal is not a 100% but she is at the studio dancing.  She got here around 4pm and I could see the tired look in her eyes but once the music came on and the sweat began the smile and energy was lifted.  Thank you God for letting Crystal continue to do what she loves.  However, she did have to leave early to get more rest but not before telling the CR Junior Spirits that she will be their new coach.  She is now going to be running the Tiny & Junior Spirits, a new journey for Crystal.

As of right now Crystal only has only one more session of Chemo left!  We are hoping that by the end of October she will be completely done!  She will then have her big check up in November, so yes, the worry is always there but you just have to have hope or you will go crazy.

Some of you have asked about Cassidy she is doing well but still is having some issues with her Gall Bladder, we are going to give a month before we jump on a surgery just to make sure that the parasite is completely out of her body.  She has pain in her back also on her side and after she eats she gets an upset stomach but we are aware of what it possibly is, so in time we will know.

Can’t forget about Courtney…well, she is doing great at College and she just made the Professional Dance Team.  So this season she will be performing with Crystal.

This coming weekend is the PurpleStride Walk/Run in Rochester, MN.  Crystal will be by my side when I speak and the Professional Dance Team will be ready to perform to kick this event off.  We are looking forward to helping support Pancreatic Cancer Research and to give others that are touched by this awful cancer hope.

 

Rough Couple of Weeks at the Kuehl Home

Written September 5th, 2013 at 7:05pm

What a rough couple of weeks…

First of all, we were very excited about Crystal’s news but we came home to a sick little girl.  Cassidy was still not doing very good.

I got home in time to do a CT Scan and a MRI with Cassidy.  We learned that her Gall Bladder was not working properly and that she had a parasite (Crypto).  She had been sick for 7 days and on Friday, August 23^rd we had an appointment with the surgeon.  Cassidy became even more ill during that visit.  It was horrible in that office.  It was a very long 50 minutes starting with the drive there.  I felt terrible for Cassidy.  I’m sure she just wanted to be at home when she was getting sick, so embarrassing but yet so sick you don’t care.  I felt sorry for others around us not including the doctor who about had a fit that she was not already admitted into the hospital.  It was obvious we had to clear up this illness before we could even think about her Gall Bladder.  It was a rough afternoon.  Off to ER, and then she was admitted.

Our next worry was making sure Crystal wouldn’t get it.  I mean none of us wanted it but if Crystal got it, it could be devastating.  As of now Rod, Crystal & Courtney are all good.  However, I did get it.  The night before Cassidy was released from the hospital, Rod and I went home to scrub the house.  Get the germs out.  It was a very long day and night.

After three days in the hospital Cassidy came home, I knew I got it.  I’m still not a 100% but I am a lot better.  As far as Cassidy’s Gall Bladder we will watch how she does the next couple of weeks.

Even though I was very sick we still had so much to do.  Crystal had a wisdom tooth coming out and before that big day we had blood work to do.  Needless to say Crystal handled that with flying colors.

Right before she went into have the procedure I gave her a big kiss and said this is not cancer, this surgery is nothing to what you have done…you’ve got this!  Crystal laughed.

She looked so innocent lying there afterwards.  Crystal asked me if she said anything stupid when we got in the car.  I was like, “No, why?”  She said she must have dreamed it…I asked her what did she dream?  With her eyes half opened, a smile on her face and in this deep voice she said…HUUUMMMMP DAAAYYYY!  I about died laughing.  I didn’t even get it on video…and now she doesn’t even remember.  Funny thing is, it was hump day.

Plus we had to get ready for the Spirits Year End Party, so much to do, food buy, gifts to buy and memories to make.  Crystal was actually chosen by the team this year as SPIRIT GIRL OF THE YEAR!  Congrats Crystal.  It was fun party…we did a Spirits Slumber Party.

As far as this week is going, Crystal started her Chemo on Monday however she was also taking some medicine for her tooth, the combination did not settle with her.  She has had a rough week but of course still being very positive.  We did get to stop taking the medicine for her wisdom tooth so hopefully that will help.

Today was a hard day for me.  We were cleaning the dance studio.  A deep cleaning which we did right before Crystal became very ill.  I actually forgot about it.  Until today when Crystal became quiet and I asked if she was okay or if she needed to lie down.  She looked at me, began to cry and hugged me so tight.  It was out of nowhere.  I was shocked and I listened to her say, “Mom cleaning this studio is bringing back bad memories.  I was so sick and I knew something was not right, I could feel something not right with my body the last time we did this here.  And right now, I think I am setting myself up to believe that I am getting it again.  I am tired like I was then and I don’t know if it is the same kind of tired.  What if it is coming back?  Mom, do you think it will come back?  Do you think it is the same tiredness?”

To hear that scared little voice and to know I don’t have the answers is so heart wrenching.  I told her if it comes back we fight.  We don’t give up, we fight.  That is what everyone tells us to do.  As far as being tired…Crystal you are on chemo.  You have had a rough week with it this time.  So it’s expected.  Now, let’s get new thoughts in our head about cleaning the studio.  The feeling that you will have when it is done, getting the studio freshened up for the Spirits Auditions next week.  Getting the cleaning done will help keep everyone’s Spirits Up and Alive!  That is what we need.  I stayed strong, she wiped her tears and we continued our cleaning.

However, it took us all day!