I am finally taking the time to catch up my blog, so everyone knows I'm still alive. Ha! Ha! I made it ok through chemo #5. The break was good because my neuropathy wasn’t as bad with this last round, so then neither was the nausea. Those two seem to go hand in hand. I was due to have my 6th treatment yesterday, but I had to take an extra week off because the chemo is affecting my hormone levels. My oncologist wanted me to get that problem fixed before I get another treatment. He did want me to go in for chemo this next Tuesday, so I just have to see if they can squeeze me in. Otherwise, I’ll have another 3 week break. I can’t seem to get to the half-way point. Right now, 7 more treatments just seems like too many. But, I just have to get through one at a time and try not to focus on the rest.
It has been difficult, because I haven’t gotten much rest. Of course I enjoy going to my kids’ baseball and volleyball games, but I have taken on a project that is an enormous challenge for me. As I have said before, Katrina is dyslexic, so the typical school (public school) is not designed for her. Even though our government has discovered from their studies that 1 out of every 5 people (worldwide) are dyslexic, they fail to offer an education designed to help students with a processing disorder. They still continue to let students get 2 years behind before they take the necessary steps to help them. By then, the child is so far behind, that it is difficult to catch up. Knowing this, I have been getting medical and legal advice and have been writing letters, trying to get help for my daughter. Because Katrina “is not that bad” and because her STAR test results are ok, the school doesn’t think she qualifies for any testing, let alone any help. This is a battle that I have to fight before my daughter slips through the cracks, but it won’t be over quickly. I am tired and stressed out, but I cannot give up. Each school year gets harder and harder for Katrina to handle. Sadly, her teachers continue to tell me that she is “capable, but not trying hard enough,” which is the typical label given to dyslexic children. I am so tired of educating teachers of this particular disorder, just to find out that the teachers continue to punish my daughter because of her disabilities…Somehow this just doesn’t seem legal…As if Jr. High isn’t difficult enough for a child, the struggles that Katrina has to face are just not right.
I will try not to let so much time go by before I send out an update on my 6th treatment. Thanks for all your prayers and support, and thanks for listening. =)
