New Year's Eve 2005

It is hard to believe that tomorrow will be 2006 already. It just hit me today that on Tuesday I will be going back to school-at least part-time. I honestly cannot say that I have felt like I have had any time off this year even though I have been at home a lot.

As the year draws to a close we of course remember the many different events of 2005. We have been blessed in so many ways, despite the news of Leah's illness in November. Our friends and family have been so important to us in this past month as we look forward to phone calls, emails, cards from many different people-some we do not know well at all. We have also been fortunate to have many, many different individuals and church families praying for Leah, and hope they continue to do so for quite some time. The Leah Ristau Fund has received numerous donations to help us with medical expenses, another blessing as we are amazed by the generosity of so many. Chris and I have been able to reconnect with many friends who have reached out to us after we have lost touch with them over time. We hope that as 2006 comes to a close next year we will be able to add to our list of blessings the fact that Leah Ristau is a cancer survivor.

Our days at home are not as eventful as the ones in the hospital in terms of information we glean about Leah's health, but they are much more fun. Today Leah got up early in order to come downstairs and lay down. I woke her up at 3:30 AM to give her Zoforan an anti-nausea drug she is supposed to take for 3 days after discharge. There is another drug for nausea she is also supposed to take, dexamethazone. However, I gave it to her when she got up and she promptly threw up. So, I waited until she ate her whole 6 bites of pancake, tried it again, and she threw up again. After this happened I decided to call Iowa City and talked with Dr. Sarvada who we have come to know well these past few weeks. Her instant reaction when she heard my voice was to worry that the Princessa, as she calls Leah, had another fever. When I told her about the vomiting, she told me to discontinue this medicine. Great news! One less drug to take each day.

Leah desperately wanted to go to Grandma Kathy's today without Chloe so my mom picked her up and she spent the afternoon there helping bake cookies and napping. I came with Chloe after we both had naps and even snuck a workout in while I was there.

Yesterday on the van ride home I gave Leah her Love for Leah bracelet and explained that people were wearing them because they knew she was in the hospital and wanted her to get better. She looks at me, sighs, and says, "Tina (insert an eye-roll by Leah here), I am not sick."
Kind of amazing, and probably a good attitude to have.

Please continue to send your prayers for Leah's treatment to be effective, for ability to remain without side-effects after chemotherapy, and for her strength of spirit as we continue this long road to recovery.

Many blessings in 2006 to all.