Kicking Cancer’s Arse!

We are very excited to announce that today, Ellie completed her main treatment and was discharged from Sydney Children’s Hospital!! We are over the moon to have our family back at home after a long and hard-fought 7 months of intensive treatment.
 
The entire ward’s medical staff gave Ellie an amazing (and emotional) farewell, showering her with cards, gifts, and love. They are truly incredible humans, with whom we have become very close.
 
Ellie didn’t entirely meet her blood counts for release however, given she has been tracking very well in the last week and we can see her counts slowly climbing, the team was content for her to be formally discharged from in-patients. For the next couple of months, Ellie will have weekly clinic appointments and blood tests, eventually transitioning to fortnightly, then monthly, and this will last for at least 2 years. Based on how Ellie progresses in the next month or so, she will likely have her central line removed under general anaesthetic at the same time as her next Bone Marrow Aspirate and Lumber Puncture, and this is another significant milestone.
 
We are cognisant that Ellie’s journey is not yet over, and she will remain on several anti-biotic and anti-fungal medications for some time as well as needing to have all her childhood vaccinations repeated. We need to be very cautious of her exposure (particularly in the current environment) and we understand that the slightest temperature will see her re-admitted to hospital for immediate antibiotic treatment and investigation of the cause of her temperature.
 
We are immensely proud of everything Ellie has achieved over the last 7 months and we are confident it is onwards and upwards from here. We’re eager to see her health continue to improve, her energy levels increase, and her re-introduction to school and life as a happy, healthy girl.
 
In other news, we will soon adopt a puppy Groodle (just like the one on Ellie’s card from the nurses as seen in attached photos) whom we are due to receive into our home in August. This has been Ellie’s wish from early in treatment and he (yet to be named) will be invaluable for Ellie’s healing.
 
We want to again thank everybody for your continued love and support for our family. We will continue to update you as Ellie’s residual treatment progresses, are share some new puppy pictures along the way!
 
PC