She's All Good

...well, I guess that could be a relative description! Shayla has had her first round of post treatment scan, x-ray and blood draw for testing and Dr. Chang tells us today that all looks good. No worries! Of course, I knew that. Shayla is back to being herself so much more these days, that cancer seems like a long, long time ago.

She was pretty feisty with Dr. Chang today, being a bit on the obnoxious side and even challenging the need to continue with the only medication she has left (Pentamadine breathing treatments once a month through April)or have further follow-up scans and blood draws. You know. It was so good to be in that room with her today. Anyone seeing her would classify her as a 'normal' teenager, and she IS! I am so grateful to see it, to know it, to experience it with her again! Of course, as I sit here posting this blog, I realize that probably a bigger reason Shayla is questioning the need for further follow-up is because her faith in Heavenly Father has gotten her here. Lest we forget, He has brought us through a lot!

My next post will have to have some new pictures. She has gorgeous eyelashes and her hair is so soft! It is about an inch long now. I think people looking at her for the first time may think she is just making a fashion statement with the extreme hair cut (yeah right, Shayla care about making a fashion statement!)

At church last week I was asked to share how Shayla's experience (and ours) brought our family closer. I had to chuckle a bit because we were probably more unified then than we are now. During Shayla's treatment I know God truly had His arms around our family. With the help of so many dear friends here there was never a need to worry about my family while Jase or I were with Shayla at the hospital. It was just a given that all would be well with them. Our other kids' lives went on fairly normally (perhaps that is just my biased perception, may need to ask the kids that question...make note: ask kids how normal life was during 2008). Now that we are back into the routine of living, we have found it harder to stay connected. Isn't that interesting? So anyway, we are working on it. Some things are working, others not, but you know what? My 16-year old Jarin actually sat laughed with us tonight and it was good. That's what I want it to be. Maybe 'getting back to normal" is not the goal I should be shooting for. We can do so much better!