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26 February 2008
MICHAEL LAWS
LUCY'S DADDY
LUCY: Tuesday 26 Feb Update
"
Last evening, Lucy was discharged from the child oncology
ward at Starship, to a secure area within Ronald McDonald
House. As she walked the short distance with her mother,
Leo 'phoned to let me know the news and cried through our
entire conversation.
It was a walk that we would not have
thought possible a fortnight ago, let alone a week. She
then saw the play
equipment at Ronald McDonald House and, to quote
Oslo, "was like a bird set free".
I believe in miracles. Lucy's stunning
return from death's door is the classic
proof.
Of course, she is not beyond recall.
Leukemia is that kind of disease - one moment remitted
and the next it has returned. We
saw many such children undergoing
their
second and third rounds of chemotherapy as a conequence of such reverses. And
the other childen next door to the oncology ward - recovering from bone marrow
transplants - inhibit any outright celebration.
But Lucy is alive and under
her own steam. That is a miracle.
Today she had her magnificent
mane cut. Her father did that operation tougher than Lucy
but it is a decision her
mum has made against the eventual loss of
all Lucy's hair. Already it is coming out in huge clumps although, as Leo notes,
she has so much that such attrition is not so easily discernible.
Apparently
Lucy was looking forward to plaiting it as a gift to her
Dad. The idea she had taken from the 'Willow' DVD that
is a favourite when the hero's
wife cuts off her hair and plaits it for husband as a good luck charm ahead
of his perilous adventure.
I'm flying up to take care of Lucy
on Wednesday and Thursday with Leo wapping and coming back
to Wanganui
to provide some much needed TLC for Ella, Noah
and Zoe. This will be our schedule for the next 2-3 weeks - all things going
well.
The real emperical test of Lucy's
progress will be tomorrow and Thursday when she undergoes
another CT scan, and then goes under
a general anaesthetic on
Thursday for another lumbar punch and bone marrow biopsy. Great, I get all
the good stuff.
At least I will be there for the results and news, hopefully, that progress
is being maintained.
Again, thank you everyone for your
kind thoughts and prayers. Young Oliver is also in desperate
need of such so I will
certainly be adding mine." |
