Allison is continuing to heal from her surgery. The pain is still significant, and the phantom pain has continued to worsen. We met with the pain team this week and are planning to try switching one of her medications. PT is also continuing to help her gradually work her way toward mirror therapy. She’s getting around well, though she mentioned she didn’t realize just how unfriendly the world can be for people with disabilities until now. We’re continuing to learn, sometimes the hard way, how to make things more accessible for her.

This week, the orthopedic doctor checked her incision and said she is healing well. She no longer has to wear the knee brace, although she still needs to keep it bandaged and wrapped to protect the incision as it continues to heal. Allison said that certain areas around the incision feel like an electric shock when touched, so the doctor gave her some techniques to help desensitize those areas over time, especially in preparation for a prosthetic.

She is healing well enough that she’s been cleared to start chemo again. After having a month-long break, her hair had just started to grow back, so she’s sad knowing she’ll likely lose it again, along with her eyelashes. We were hopeful that side effects would stay minimal since she handled the last round so well, but this one has been harder than the others. It may just be that she’s already worn down, but we are staying an extra night tonight to get her nausea under control so she can eat, drink, and keep things down. The IV hydration should also help her body clear the chemo.

She has a couple of events this weekend that she was really hoping to be part of, so we’re praying the nausea eases, that she starts feeling better, and that her immune system doesn’t tank like it did last time. We’re also hoping she’ll be able to stay home and continue healing over the next two weeks, and avoid getting sick, before the next round of chemo. Thanks so much for checking in and praying with us!