16th to 24th January - INDUCTION - Week 1

16th - 24th January

I didn't quite know how long I'd be in England or at Great Ormond Street for and I really thought I'd be home soon.

On Wednesday 16th January 2013 I was taken for a small operation called a bone marrow aspiration. The Doctors took alittle bit of my Bone Marrow and looked at it to see why my blood was so poorly.

On that same afternoon the Doctors came to speak to my Mummy and Daddy. I stayed in my room with Nana and Grandad. When Mummy and Daddy had spoken to the Doctor they were very sad and cried because the Doctor had told them I have something called Leukaemia, ALL, Acute lymphoblastic Leukaemia, which means that I have a kind of cancer in my blood. That is what had been making my blood so poorly!

They also told me that it is very easy to treat and nearly all children who get it get better. It did mean that I would have to stay in England for a long time and I would probably feel very sick for a long time because of the drugs called Chemotherapy that the Doctors would have to give me.

Nana and Grandad stayed with us in London for the first few days to help Mummy and Daddy and find out what would be happening as we had decided that it would be better to move to Nana and Grandads house in Yorkshire and have my treatment in Leeds.

When Nana and Grandad left it was much quieter at the hospital but the Doctors still did lots of test and took my blood very often. I didn't like having drips and being caught so that I had to stay in bed most of the time. I started with 3 types of medicine and they all tasted nasty! I had to eat chocolate or clean my teeth to take the taste away.

Mummy had a bed in my room with me and I had lots of toys and books. My cousin loaned me a DVD player to use when i was in hospital but I mostly watched Toy Story 3 on the television in my room or played games on the same television!

A lady came to play with me and to paint and make things. One day my bed was so full of glitter that Mummy had to change my Sheets and blankets!

Mostly I just want to go home.

I had to have a tube put in my nose to my tummy so that I could have water and milk. I really didn't like it and wouldn't talk or eat or drink whilst I had it. I did wear a scarf to make my neck feel better. I was very sad and scared whilst I had it in and it made Mummy and Daddy very sad too.

The Doctors did take it out because I wanted to go home so much that I promised to eat and drink and take my medicine.

I had a little operation and had something called a port-a-cath fitted. This is so they can give me drugs and chemotherapy without having to use cannula's in a vein. They used something called wigglies to put medicine and they stick out of my body, but when I leave the hospital they are taken out and it looks like there is nothing in me.

Mummy told me that whilst I was in Great Ormond Street that my Doctor from Gibraltar came to visit me, I was asleep.

I was in the hospital for 10 days and lots of people came to visit and play with me. The people from Radio Lollipop came and blew bubbles for me and played Guess Who, we made planes. A Lady came and did sticking and painting with me so Mummy and Daddy could have a break and go for lunch. I made friends with the little girl in the room next door, we weren't able to leave our rooms so we drew pictures for each other on the window between our rooms. My favourite visitor was my friend lady who who came to play even when I was very sad and not talking.. She even gave me a toy horse when I was very ill and wanted to be left alone. she was my favourite person at GOSH.

Mum Says: It is very difficult to put into words how I felt and exactly what it was like. I know that we had to tell people what the diagnosis was and when I sent a message to people I couldn't read their replys right away. I was panicking in Costa Coffee as they were comimg through so fast and it made it all too real. We were kind of in a dream world, having to absorb vast amounts of information and then deal with a very unhappy 3 year old. She obviously knew something was happening but not quite what and she still hasn't fully grasped what is happening to her. Everyone has been so supportive and helpful and understanding that we have just been overwhelmed with everyones kindness, in Gibraltar the support that we've had and from the medical staff at GOSH not to mention the way our families have come together to support us. But Alice being sad is the over whelming memory. She has always been such a happy healthy child and we were suddenly in one afternoon robbed of that. But as parents we are unable to wallow and feel sorry for what we have lost we now have the job of getting her through this whole experiance, healthy, happy and as Alice as possible.