Meghan’s Journey: The Story of Meghan Redenbach: The Teenage Girl Who Showed a Community How to “Man Up” in the Face of Cancer (8 page)

Monday, March 2

Meg doesn’t feel well again today. They are keeping her medicated so she can sleep through most of the day. Mike came up around 3:00 p.m. She stayed awake until around 5:00 and then the Benadryl kicked in to keep her comfortable. Chemo started at 4:30 today. She wasn’t feeling well all evening. She can go home on Tuesday if she feels well enough.

Tuesday, March 3

Meg was able to come home today, but wanted to stay at Roswell until early afternoon. She doesn’t feel that great. Meghan made the ride home okay, but was not herself. Every time we would give her the nausea medicine she would throw it up. We hydrated her through the night. She threw up five times.

Wednesday, March 4

Meg still is not feeling well. She is still throwing up. She threw up three times today. She didn’t eat or drink anything. We hydrated her through the night. Bethany and Carol came over to do benefit work.

Thursday, March 5

Meg still is not feeling well, but only threw up once today. She hasn’t had anything to eat or drink. It’s alright because she is being hydrated. She says she feels a little better. We are hoping she is okay for the benefit on Sunday.

Friday, March 6

Meg finally felt better today and had something to eat and drink. Tonight was her last night of hydration. No throwing up today. We had her go to bed early so she could rest up. Dee slept over.

Saturday, March 7

Meg felt pretty good again, but not 100%. Dee and Jonas were up early and we worked on thank-you cards. We all went to Dollar General to get a few things for the benefit. We all went to bed early today because the benefit committee was going to start at 8:00 a.m. They were going to be here to start loading baskets.

Sunday, March 8

Today was the big day. Meghan’s benefit was starting at 1:00 p.m. I felt like I was getting ready for a wedding. People were here by 7:45 a.m. to load the baskets. The four of us and Kempton went over around 12:15 and it was already packed. They had close to six hundred baskets, food, face painting, raffles and more. It was truly overwhelming. We saw lots of people we haven’t seen in a long time. There were people there that we didn’t even know. Everything went very smoothly. The benefit ended around 7:00 p.m., and we hung around until 9:00 to wait for baskets to be picked up. We all were exhausted. We took all leftover baskets to our house.

Monday, March 9

We were all off today except Nick. I called all people to let them know where they could pick up their baskets. Mrs. Budziszewski came to tutor Meghan today. Meg’s blood work wasn’t good. She is neutropenic (low white blood cells making her susceptible to infection) and shouldn’t be around anyone. If her counts don’t come up she will have to have a transfusion. The nurse is going to come on Wednesday instead of Thursday. We were very nervous about this.

Tuesday, March 10

Meg won’t be going to school for a while. She can’t be around any germs. She says she feels fine, but her blood tells us different. Miss Dewey came to tutor today. Meg isn’t eating as much as normal, but we are getting there.

Wednesday, March 11

The nurse was supposed to come in the morning, but there was a mix-up so HE came at 12:15 p.m. I was at work so Holly came over to be with Meghan. I called home and Meg thought he was cute and asked if he could come more often. Roswell called around 4:00 while the tutor was here and said Meg’s counts are all good, and she won’t need a transfusion. We were so glad. Meg was especially happy because she could visit with friends again. Mom came over and played cards and stayed the night.

Thursday, March 12

Meg stayed home and got tons of homework done. She really wants to try to keep up. We didn’t have to do anything tonight. Nick worked and we watched the hockey game.

Friday, March 13

Meg felt good again, but stayed home because there is too much sickness around. She went to Courtney’s to watch movies and was home around 11:30 p.m. Mike and I went to dinner. Nick had to work.

Saturday, March 14

It was a beautiful day outside. Mike worked around the house, I worked inside, Nick worked, and Meg kind of lounged around. She really is going to have a lot to make up for her seven months of slacking (just kidding). We decided that we would all go to the Boulevard Mall and shop. It’s really hard to shop with four people, but we managed. Meg and Jordan went to a party and Nick picked them up at 11:30 p.m. They came home and were giggling all night.

Sunday, March 15

It was another beautiful day and Meg felt good. She and Jordan had pancakes, which is a tradition when Jordan stays over. Meg and I went to Target and Kohl’s to finish up a little shopping. Mike went with Sweeney and Mel for a motorcycle ride to the St. Patrick’s Day parade and then to the Log Cabin. Bridget and her mom dropped off a card from the Roy-Hart Junior Class for $1000.00. People continue to be so kind. We all went to bed kind of early.

Monday, March 16

Meg went to school for the first time in three weeks. She kind of just listens. Mrs. Budziszewski came today to tutor. Meg gave her a lot of work she completed. She wants to go to school as much as she can this week because she will have her treatment on Friday and probably won’t feel well after that. She also wants to take the Math 8 Exam for New York State. She was tired today.

Tuesday, March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day)

Meg went to school again and Miss Dewey came after to tutor for Spanish. After the tutor left, Meg and I went to the high school to watch Donkey Basketball. Mike met us there. Miss Maclam and other teachers played against sixteen seniors. It was the funniest thing ever. Most of the players were wearing Meg’s t-shirts. Meg had a great time.

Wednesday, March 18

Meg went to school again today. She feels really good. Mrs. Budziszewski came over to tutor. After she left Olivia came over to do science with Meg. Debbie picked Olivia up around 8:00 p.m. Meg went to bed.

Thursday, March 19

Meg went to school again today after the nurse left. She is feeling pretty good. Courtney came over after school and stayed until 9:00. Meg packed for the hospital. We all went to bed early.

Friday, March 20

Today is Meg’s fifth treatment. I decided to call at 7:00 a.m. before we got ready to leave, and it was a good thing I did. There were no beds available. They called us back at 11:00 a.m. to tell us there was now a bed available. Meg had to also get an EKG and a MUGA scan before they would start chemo. Everything came back good. They didn’t start chemo until 6:00 p.m. Meg started feeling sick around 4:00. This is common with kids Meg’s age. We are told they sometimes talk themselves into being sick. Meg did well tonight with the chemo; she was just nauseated. She made it all night without throwing up. She just got up a lot to use the bathroom.

Saturday, March 21

Meg got up for about fifteen minutes this morning and then slept pretty much right until 2:30 p.m. Heidi the nurse asked me if Meg ever had Decadron before for nausea. She did not, but I said we’d be willing to try it. You give it with Zofran and it enhances the power of it. By the time the doctor wrote the script for it she had been given the Zofran, so they weren’t given exactly together. Her next dose will be the true teller.

She got the meds at 5:00 p.m. and they seemed to work great. Meg was barely nauseated. Deirdre and Jonas came up to visit. We stayed mostly in the Lion’s Den
(children’s playroom)
because Meg was sleeping and Jonas wanted to do something. She woke up about the last half hour they were here. Dee brought me magazines and oranges from Florida. At 5:30 p.m. Bethany showed up with dinner and a drink for Meghan. She stayed until around 9:30 p.m. Meg had a great night. Thank you Heidi for suggesting the new medicine.

Sunday, March 22

Meg has been awake most of the morning and not nauseated at all. She got up, changed her clothes, changed her bed, and brushed her teeth. She enjoyed a donut that Mike brought her. Debbie, Dan, Lindsay, and Jonathan are coming up to visit today. Mike came around 10:00 a.m. and left at 5:00. She was tired by the end of the day.

Monday, March 23

Meg was up early this morning feeling really good. We knew they were going to try to get rid of us early, because there were a lot of people that needed to be admitted. They came in at 9:30 a.m. and said we could go. They sent Meg home with IV fluids as usual and also IV Zofran so she wouldn’t just throw it up. We left around 10:00 a.m. and we were home by 11:00.

Meg was starving. As soon as we got in the car she asked her dad to make her eggs with cheese and bacon. We usually never see her eat for at least one to two days. I asked her what she wanted for dinner, and she said “Chinese.” You guessed it—I ran to get it. She enjoyed it so much and she kept it down. We hydrated her tonight and also gave her IV Zofran.

Tuesday, March 24

Meg woke up feeling good, but no school this week because we don’t want to push our luck. She wanted eggs and cheese again with toast and hash browns. She ate a ton of food. She was able to keep her pills down today and she mostly sat around. Grandma came out to visit and sit with her while I went to Barnes and Noble to get a book for Nick, and then I did a little shopping. Bridget and Caryn Shanahan brought dinner over. It was a huge spiral ham, mac and cheese, salad, bread, and a killer butter cake. While they were here Meg had become a little sick because we were talking about food. I think she scared them away. She texted Bridget apologizing that she had to go barf. Dinner was awesome. Meg loved the ham. She took her Bactrim around 9:00 p.m. and threw up at 9:30. I think the pill didn’t agree with an empty stomach. We hydrated her again tonight, and that worked out great.

Wednesday, March 25

Meg got up today and ate four waffles. She was feeling good again today. She got dressed and we went to Super Walmart, the movie store, and the bank. She was very tired after that. She ate about one quarter of a sub sandwich. She watched movies the rest of the day. We had leftovers. We hydrated Meg again tonight. She did really well today and will probably return to school on Monday.

Thursday, March 26

Meg got up today and had cereal and cinnamon rolls. She had a visit today from the hot nurse, Paul. He drove her blood to Roswell today. Her counts were all good, but she still needs her shot. She had leftover Chinese for lunch and wants steak for dinner. Olivia came to help Meg with her homework. Meg doesn’t have to be hydrated tonight or have IV Zofran. She feels good.

Friday, March 27

Meg went to school around noon; it was her first day back. When we all got home we went to the Toronto vs. Sabres hockey game. We were in the Camp Good Days’ suite. We had a great time and the Sabres won. We were all tired and went to bed early.

Saturday, March 28

It was a gorgeous day out, so Mike decided to cut down one of the apple trees in the back yard. I started helping, and then Meg came out to help too. Nick had to work. Meg went with Courtney to her cousin’s birthday party and then back to her house to watch movies. She got home around 10:45. Nick went with Stephanie out to dinner and to the movies. Mike went to Joe’s hunting camp to hang his caribou heads. I was home all alone. It was the first time I had to give Meg her G-Shot, and I am kind of hoping I never have to do it again.

Sunday, March 29

Meg and I had to get up early because we had to go to her volleyball tournament in West Seneca. We got there around 8:00 a.m. and got home around 7:00 p.m. They started out by winning all their games and lost it in the last four games. Mike got home around 3:30 from the cabin. Meg and I were tired. Mike was tired too. Nick worked all day.

Monday, March 30

Meg went to school after Paul the nurse left, and I went to work. The tutor came today, and grades close Friday. Meg went to Olivia’s house and then came home to start cleaning her room. I went to bed and she was still up. Her platelets were a little low today.

Tuesday, March 31

Meg went to school today and stayed after for softball practice. Mike picked her up on the motorcycle. Miss Dewey couldn’t come because she went home with the flu. Mr. and Mrs. Jennings came over to visit and to give Meghan some presents they bought her when they were in Florida and Disney. She loved the gifts; they brought her a Thumper stuffed animal and a Thumper mug. After they left we went to Marshall’s to do a little shopping. The Jennings told us about all the great deals they had on sneakers. $342.00 later we were home. I did take some things back the next day. We went to dinner at Grover’s.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Meg wanted to go to school today to hand in work since the grades close on Friday. She also wanted to go see the “Rachel’s Challenge” program, which she said was awesome. She got off the bus at Olivia’s house, and I picked her up at 7:00 p.m. so she could do more homework. Mrs. Budziszewski stopped to tutor but didn’t stay because Meg wasn’t here. Mrs. B didn’t get a chance to listen to her voicemail with our message that we wanted to do Thursday or Friday, so Meg could get as much done as possible and get it handed it. Meg did get a lot done. She is thinking about staying home on Thursday to work all day and catch up on more homework.

Thursday, April 2

Lee came to get Meg’s blood work. She hasn’t been over the last two times; we had the “hottie” Paul, but we like Lee. Meg just couldn’t stay home today, so I dropped her off around 11:00 a.m. and then I went to work. Lee called me after she left and informed me that Meg’s blood will be dropped off at Roswell, so we don’t have to pay the co-pay.

I got to work at 11:40 and went to lunch. At 12:10 Roswell called me and said that Meghan’s hemoglobin was at 6.1, and if it goes under 8 then you need to be transfused. I had to go back and get Meg from school to head up to the clinic at Roswell. I called Mike at work, and he left to meet me at home to take us to Roswell. When Meg walked by the school office and saw me she was wondering why I was back in two hours. I told her that her blood was low in the hemoglobin category and she needed to go to get transfused. She was very upset, because she felt good and couldn’t understand why.