Riding the Recovery Rollercoaster

We have been riding the emotional rollercoaster lately. Katie's treatment really knocked her out last night, and she was very uncomfortable. She has had a terrible case of the blahs this morning. She was sluggish and mopey. While the television was on, the volume was very low, and no one could actually hear Stuart Little say anything, but Katie did not care. She stared in the general direction of the tv but couldn't focus long enough to take it in; she was in the zone. Fortunately, Katie finally admitted that she had a headache and that "belly hurt." Several medications later, she is perky and bright, eating and drinking and chattering up a storm. She ate MY bowl of chicken soup, and she has requested broccoli (a request with which we are happy to comply!). She is telling Dora what to do and how to do it in her inimitble Katie fashion, and she is grateful for every little bit of happiness: "Thank you for washing my blankie. Thank you for washing my sheets. Thank you for cooking me noodles. Thank you for starting the movie..." It is amazing what some Tylenol and an anti-emetic can do.We catch the occasional glimpse of our Katie, who continues to inspire me.

We are working hard to govern our own emotions, too, but some days are easier than others. We ride the rollercoaster, too. If you see us out and about, and we look happy, we probably are. We are working hard to stay positive and to enjoy our friends, our family and our work. It is much easier for us to remain focused and positive because we have such tremendous support. People we don't even know continue to care for us. Katie receives gifts in the mail--blankets, a beautiful backpack, cheerful cards, balloons and bears. We receive gifts of food, warm hugs, bright smiles and our community's best wishes. We know full well that Katie will survive this ordeal. Thanks to all of you, we will survive it, too!

We haven't figured out how best to express our gratitude or how to repay the myriad kindnesses from which we have benefitted, but we are committed to repaying our debt to the community.It is hard to accept help with grace. It is hard to know what to say. The kids at St. Paul's have made Katie a quilt, for instance, and it is beautiful. What a thoughtful and encouraging gift! Words just aren't strong or interesting enough to communicate what that means to us. We hope you all know how much we appreciate all your efforts on our behalf. We will "pay it forward" some one of these days. :)