December 1, 2021

The next phase has begun. Rory and Aurelia went down to the hospital yesterday for treatment and there was a bit of drama as Aurelia began to go into anaphylactic shock with one of the drugs. Thankfully this happened when the doctor was in the room and the issue was solved in seconds and Aurelia was able to continue treatment. This phase is meant to be quite rough on her, so we are not sure what to expect. As always, we will take things as they come and hope for the best.

Rory and Aurelia moved into our new temporary beach digs just outside the city center. Eston and I will leave after school on Friday to go and join them. It’s a 5-day weekend here in Catalunya (religious holidays) so hopefully the sun is shining at the beach! Eston has had bike and/or running races every weekend since school started so it will be nice to have a weekend to relax as a family.

Other than the hiccup yesterday, Aurelia has been feeling strong and positive. She is tired of taking so many medications and misses her friends, which rips my heart out. Last week she was able to stand outside the gates at school and wave and chat with her friends for a few minutes and that was really lovely, but I know she would rather be there with them and hopefully it can happen sometime this spring.

Her appetite hasn’t changed much, so the doctors are very happy. We have always had a very healthy diet and Aurelia considers herself an”foodie” so getting meals down has not been a problem. A lot of children experience mouth sores as well and so we have tried to be super vigilant with dental hygiene and a special mouthwash and that seems to be working. Her hair is falling out again but she does not want to shave it yet, so she just arranges it so the bald patches don’t show as much or wears a scarf or hat. The hospital psychologist suggested we allow her to take the lead with those choices as she has control over so little in her life right now.

I’m trying to plan some fun outings in the coming weeks, but I’m not sure how she will handle the treatment or how her energy levels may change in the next week or two. There is a holiday light show in Barcelona and since it’s outside with masks required we can safely take Aurelia. I’m actually so glad we still have all the COVID restrictions in place here as it makes it a bit easier to take her out and about when possible. It’s not just COVID- the common cold could wreak havoc on her immune system- but if everyone is wearing a mask it makes things much easier for any family dealing with cancer.