Lily’s Journey - Part 4: Recovery

There is so much to share with Lily’s journey so I am writing them in parts. You can read them here:

Part 1: Lily Has A Tumor

Part 2: The Biopsy

Part 3: Formal Diagnosis & Surgery

Lily's Journey- Part 3: Formal Diagnosis & Surgery

At the pre-op appointment

There is so much to share with Lily’s journey so I am writing them in parts.

Read Part 1: Lily Has A Tumor

Read Part 2: The Biopsy

Lily's Journey- Part 2: The Biopsy

There is so much to share with Lily’s journey so I am writing them in parts. You can read Part 1 here.

PART 2

Once we found out Lily’s MRI showed a tumor, things started to happen pretty fast. We found out on May 8^th on a Wednesday.  I don’t think I slept at all that night because my heart was hurting for our little girl and my mind was racing with the worst thoughts that she could have cancer. I mean, that is why we were meeting with an oncologist the next day, right? We share the news with our close family members and all of us felt the same way- a mix between sadness and fear of the unknown.

The next morning (May 9^th), we had an early appointment with Dr. Brown, the pediatric oncologist at Memorial University Medical Center.

I really didn’t know how the appointment was going to go. I think I got ahead of myself and was thinking she would tell us about stages, survival rate, etc.  Scary stuff.  However, the first thing she told us is that we needed to find out whether the tumor was benign or malignant. To identify it, a biopsy would need to be performed. Also, we needed to find out whether the tumor was contained to one area or if it had spread so we were scheduled for a PET scan and CT scan.

According to the initial MRI results, the tumor was favored to be cancerous in nature. But only pathology could correctly identify it.  The next step was to determine who would perform the biopsy and how it would be done since the tumor was both behind the eye and extended into the base of the skull. 

It was decided the best surgeon for the task was Dr. Petruzelli, an ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) surgeon. We made an appointment with him as well as scheduled the PET scan the following Monday.

Throughout our time in the clinic, everyone at Memorial was wonderful. The child-life specialists were great with Lily offering her support in case she had any questions and guiding her through scary blood draws and IVs. They also helped her to understand every procedure she was about to have done making her feel so much more comfortable about it all. It was very helpful for us too as this was a whole new world to navigate. At this point, Lily only knew we were just trying to figure out what was wrong with her eye. We didn't even know how to tell her she had a tumor.

Monday, May 13^th: Our day was booked. We were to have our PET scan (full body scan) at 9 am, break for lunch and come back for the results, then meet with Dr. Petruzelli in the afternoon. We were happy things were happening fast because we were anxious to have some answers, but at the same time I felt really overwhelmed. We had seen so many doctors over the past few weeks and I really had no time to process what was going on. But still, there was no time for a pause. 

Lily did great with the PET scan and the wait seemed like forever for the results. Finally, the results were in and Dr. Brown came into the patient room with a smile. The PET scan showed the tumor was contained to one area. It was instant relief to know, even if the tumor was malignant, it had not spread. We were just very grateful for the positive news.

Lily in the clinic getting poked

Lily's Journey- Part 1: Lily Has A Tumor

Lily at Dr. Devaro's office

I treated Lily to ice cream for being so good for the MRI

It's funny how certain dates stay with you. They mark the important dates in your life. Most of them are joyous occasions. Some of them are not. I will remember May 8, 2019 forever. That is the day I got the call that Lily had a tumor. 

DIY Thank You Gift for Doctors: Prescription Strength Candy Jars

I recently posted on my Instagram account (@glitterandjuls) about a fun DIY project - Prescription Strength candy jars. Since I received some great feedback, I thought I would share how I put them together. 

We have follow-up appointments with Lily's doctors and I wanted to express our gratitude with a small token of appreciation (along with a handwritten thank you note). 

During the week in the hospitals, we showered the nurses and staff with donuts, macarons, and chocolates from our favorite local shops. I wanted to also present something to the doctors and their teams from Lily. 

Insert the prescription strength candy jar idea! These candy jars were so easy and fun to make. I hope doctors and their offices enjoy them! Who doesn't like a sweet treat? 

Here's what you need:

Glass Jar(s) (I found these jars from Hobby Lobby - they were on sale for 50% off too!)

Copy Paper

Printer

Scissors

 Double-sided tape

Candy 

Feel free to download the label I created in Word HERE. 

These would make great teacher appreciation gifts too!