February 20th, 2018

Sorry for the delay in updates. Isabella had scans done this past Monday and the doctor confirmed at her appointment on Thursday that there are no visible spots in either place that they were before. All the fluid that had been causing her so much pain has resolved itself. The doctor said that she didn't expect Isabella to have this type of response to the chemo. They are going to give about 10 rounds of the chemo she is on now. Towards the end, they may change the dosage and frequency to try to maximize the time on it. After that, they have another oral chemo that they can try as a maintenance that has been known to keep rhabdo at bay for a while. She did not match with any of the trials that they tested for. She's been very happy, full of energy, and back at school and dance. When she was doing badly in December, the doctor asked her if they could get her feeling better again what would she want to do. She said go back to dance and go skiing. Happily, she's been able to do both of those things. Thank you for keeping her in your prayers. 💃 🏂 💕

April 7th, 2018

Sadly, a day after we went away, we noticed slight swelling in Isabella's belly. As the week progressed, the swelling increased and her energy greatly decreased. We contacted the doctor and brought her in for an x-ray and bloodwork Monday. Monday night, she had an MRI. We found out on Tuesday (when she had been due for chemo) that her cancer had returned with tumors studded throughout her abdomen and around her bowel. She has a large tumor in the center, which has been causing her significant pain. Her doctor moved quickly to think of a plan to ease some of her pain. She was put on a different oral chemo to try to slow the progression, and contacted our amazing radiation oncologist, who immediately saw Isabella the next day, set up her radiation plan, and set everything to start yesterday. She had a hard time lying flat on the table because it was so painful. The doctor was optimistic that these first few radiation treatments would provide some relief as quickly as this weekend. They were even able to schedule her for a Saturday morning appointment, to get as much done as quickly as possible. Her doctor was very optimistic and thinks that she can get Isabella back to how she was before, including dancing again, which is what Isabella was very concerned about. For now, though, we would just like to see her pain go away and see a smile on her face again. Thank you everyone for your thoughts, prayers, and well wishes. We will keep you posted.