Finally...

Just 2 days short of two weeks, finally, Indie is home. It felt so good to hug her and see her NOT lying in a hospital bed. Hugs all around and now we are whole as a family. This was the longest that she had ever been away from the family, (besides Heidi, who stayed with her at Primary Children's). This just feels SOOOOOO GOOD to have her home.

Shout it! Shout it! Read all about it!

There is a nice article in the Deseret News in the Davis County section about the fundraiser/head shaving assembly. We haven't seen it yet, just heard about it from yoyograndma and grampaw. Also, Indie is tons better today after sleeping for about 18 hours straight. She is of the dilaudid pump and starting to taper down to a tablet dose of methadone so she can come home by Sunday, maybe, maybe, maybe Saturday. We are all so anxious to be back together, it feels like it has been forever. There are many kids here who have and will be here for weeks and months, so we are very thankful that she can come home. Thanks for your comments, please keep them up, don't be afraid to just say hello! (Indie hasn't read them much but it keeps me going) - Thanks, Love, Heidi

Wednesday, December 27

Well we made the best of Christmas. It definitely will be one that we will never forget. It was very stressful up until Christmas eve, not quite knowing how things would turn out, but it really wasn't too bad. Jason, Avery, Gracie and Ivy opened up gifts at home, then brought Indie her gifts to open at the hospital. The hospital provided a nice Christmas dinner for immediate family, so we ate it while Indie slept. Thank You so very, very much to Allison and Camille who filled in for me and pretty much did all my Christmas tasks. Of all that you have done for us, I really owe you big time for this one!

Indie is doing much better today. Her fever has stayed down and her blood counts are coming up. She is still having a little pain in her back between her shoulders so she will have an x-ray to see if it's some weird thing I can't pronounce, let alone spell. The CT scan she had yesterday looked normal, still a bit of infection in one lung and the blood clot is starting to diminish slowly. Her eye has stopped drooping, that was a huge worry, especially for Indie. She was certain she was going blind from all her fevers, like Mary Ingalls. She is sleeping like a baby and smiling like the darling that she is.

Also, as much as I hate to discourage visits, the Nurses can't stress enough to me the importance of absolutely no sick visitors, for Indies sake and the other patients as well. All the kids that are in this unit are here because they have no immune system at all so the slightest little "bug" can make them extremely ill. And we really want to get her home asap of course! -Thanks

Thank you .

Without family what Indie and our family is going through would be horrible. We as a family Myself, Heidi, Indie, Avery, Gracie and Ivy are so grateful for the dinners, the babysitting and all the nice things that we sometimes don't recognize. At this time of year we are truly grateful for the gift of family and friends who care for our family when we are not there. For the rides to and fro, for the prayers well wishes and cards. You are the most valuable people in the world to us. If you are wondering if you are one of our special angels the count yourself amongst them. Again words fail at this time they do not communicate the gratitude we as a family have for you. We love you and may you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Love
The Dunlaps

Traits of an Angel...

Indie what I want to do now when things seem dark is to have the sunshine pierce the clouds. I would ask that all who read this and who know Indie would contribute one or many things that we love about her and her special spirit. ... When you get better and can read this I want you to know that:
1- When you smile my heart melts.
2-You have always had the gentle spirit of an angel with a heart that knows no limits.
3-Your rosy cheeks have inspired me from the first day that we met till the last second since I saw you.
4-You have a gift to inspire the best in people even when you are not feeling well.
5-You are my firstborn and have the first spot in my heart, your name is written and etched by the Holy Spirit in my soul.
6-Your Faith in God and people is unwavering and inspiring.
7- When I think of you my heart swells with love and pride.
8-You give of yourself so freely that people that meet you are amazed. Remember the lady at the Christus statue? Free food for life at her restaurant!
9-Your ability to make people feel loved and included is amazing.
10-I love your quirks that make you unique and special. Remember when you would always ask everyone, " Can I have that"? You still do that to this day and I love you for it.
11-Late addition: when you would flap your arms like you were trying to fly. I think that you still had memories of being an angel and still thought that you could fly. Also those binkies. Mom kept trying to ween you off of them so she would cut a little off of them each day. One day all you had was this little nub. I laughed so hard! You were still holding on to that tinsy piece of a binkie. Even then you were very dedicated and relentless in getting what you wanted.
I love you Indie. With all my heart and soul.
Dad

Of course there are many many more that I could share... I could go on for a lifetime. If you could take a minute and share your special memories about or with her she would love it!

Still in the Hospital.

Today she is getting a CT scan as well as bone scan to try to figure out why she has the pain with her arms and neck. They took her off of the morphine due to nausea and some other problems. They started her on Dilaudid 4oo mc every ten minutes or when she presses the pain management button. She has been a little out of it and has been in and out of sleep with some minor hallucinations and just saying odd things.
It would be so GOOD to have her home for Christmas. Friends and loved ones please pray that they will find this problem so that she may return home for Christmas to share with her family. We miss her terribly as well as Heidi. It's odd that when we separate for a day or two it is no big deal but when it is for reasons such as this you feel as if someone has stolen half or more of you.
The Dunlaps.

Update

Well Indie is doing better. Shes had 5-10 mg if morphine every 2-4 hours, and that has got her pain under control. The pain in her arm muscles is either from an infection or most likely a rare side effect from chemo. Her blood culture that they took yesterday and today to test for an infection in her central line. I didn't know it was for specifically that, it's amazing what you can learn by asking specific questions. Anyway, the blood culture is tested at 24, 48 and 72 hours for "bugs". So far nothing has developed yet. Although she still does have some type of infection in her body that normally she could fight off, that is why she has a fever. Wow, just when you thought laymans terms couldn't get any lamer! It sounds like I am explaining it to 1st graders, that's cause medically that's the grade I am in. Thank you for your prayers, please don't stop. Along with my 3 times a day prayers that is how we are getting through this. I know Heavenly Father loves us all. He will bless your lives if he hasn't already. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Love, Heidi