She's a Brownie!

Well, Jaymi has completed two years of Sparks (the youngest unit of Girl Guides) and is snow a Brownie. Last night was Jaymi's first Brownie meeting. She is thrilled to have the new uniform and to be able to earn badges on her own, and to do all of the fun things that Brownies do.

A Fun Saturday

We had an awesome Saturday - a mother-daughter day.
Beginning with ballet class, then a quick stop at 3 thrift stores, where we found some fantastic items!
Next, on to lunch out at a restaurant, and then downtown to the Grand Opening of a new children's bookstore. They had a storyteller there, a clown who did face painting and balloon animals, and little tiny cupcakes that were so good!
After that, we went further into downtown where we just caught the end of a big Earth Celebration where Jaymi made beautiful fairy wings and played at the park.

Ballet Class

Jaymi is enrolled in ballet class, and really loves it. She is having a lot of fun learning the different positions, etc..
Her physio-therapist says that it's excellent for her balance as well. Ballet class is almost the same as what she does in physio...balance, core, etc., and in a focused, quiet, slow atmosphere too.
It's so cute to watch the little 6-8-yr-olds trying to dance like ballerinas.

Vancouver Aquarium

The first day of our Vancouver trip this week, we wanted to do some fun stuff. Just to have a very fun, relaxed day, before entering into a bunch of serious, more stressful doctor's appointments and lots of boring waiting around, etc..
So, we went to the Vancouver Aquarium (Jaymi's choice).

Results!

Well, the trip to BC Children's Hospital in Vancouver went well. Jaymi went through her MRI, sedated, and was fine. She didn’t like the IV at all this time, but she handled it okay. They even put a hospital bracelet on her stuffie that she brought with her!

We met with her neurosurgeon to do a follow-up appointment and look at the results. The piece of the tumor that is still there hasn’t grown at all. It actually looks as if it has gotten smaller, and technically, I guess, it has, but that it because it was swollen before and now it’s not. So...it’s still there, but nothing has changed – which is good. Very good.
The doctor was so happy with how everything looks, that he doesn’t need to see her now, until next June, when she’ll have her next MRI!

She also saw her ophthalmologist in Vancouver, who says that although her eye is not completely back to normal, it’s halfway down (better) from where it was in June. We will have an ophthalmolgist appointment in 3 months again, here in Victoria, and then in June in Vancouver.

She had a neuropsych. appointment while we were there, and we get the results of that, in a couple of weeks. That will help us figure out what kind of help she needs in school.
The study we are involved in, is a 3-year study of the late effects of a posterior fossa tumor after treatment (surgery and/or radiation) and we will meet with the study co-ordinator next June and the June after that, to participate in that as well.

And of course, we went to the Aquarium the first day and had lots of fun before starting all of these appointments. Jaymi loved seeing the two baby beluga whales that are there as well as the sea turtle and a new favourite for her – the sea otters. We also got to do the newest thing at the Aquarium – the 4D movie – fun!

We are all exhausted from our trip, but happy with the results.

We let Jaymi 'decorate' the inside of the car for our trip (since we were bringing the car on the ferry). She spent about an hour doing it, and probably began with about 40 stuffies in there, until we got her down to, maybe, 15?

Here we go!

Well, we're off to Vancouver in the morning. Wish us luck!
Jaymi had ballet class this morning (after a breakfast that included homemade chocolate-dipped strawberries) and we spent the rest of the day getting ready for our little trip.
And hey - check out her looooooonnnnng pigtail! Her hair is getting so long! :)

Well, it's been a crazy, busy, stressful, summer and the time that we have been waiting for has finally arrived. That is, the dates of Jaymi's doctor's appointments in Vancouver, and her MRI. Her first MRI since the one she had directly after surgery.

So, we promised Jaymi that when we went back to Vancouver, we would make sure we did something fun. She got to choose, and she chose the Vancouver Aquarium. That's the first thing we will do when we get there.

On Monday we may have a tough morning, because Jaymi will not be allowed any food after midnight.
We meet with the woman who is involved in a brain tumour study that we have joined in with. The study is about the effects of brain tumours and brain surgery, and hopefully our involvement will help some other kid at some point, and maybe Jaymi as well.

On Monday afternoon, Jaymi will have her MRI. She is still only 6, so she will have an IV and be sleeping for the procedure.
We have a follow-up appointment booked with her neurosurgeon in the afternoon, where he will also discuss the results of the MRI.

The next day, she has an ophthalmology appointment followed by a neuropsychologist appointment. The neuropsych. appointment is 3 hours long and is also part of the study.

Then, we go back home.

We are praying for the tumour to just disappear. That is our best hope - that it goes completely away. At some point, anyway.
Jaymi has no symptoms at all this time, and the effects of the tumour and the surgery have been steadily getting better and better, so we are hoping that the tumour has at least stayed put or who knows - even shrunk!

Think of us on Monday!

Metchosin Day

Today was a fun day. Every year at this time, we go to Metchosin Day. It's lots of fun for Jaymi - pony rides, face painting, hay ride, backhoe ride, tons of crafts for sale, food for sale, a pancake breakfast and lamb/salmon bbq for dinner (we weren't there for the breakfast or dinner), ice cream, firefighter relay race, dunk tank, etc.