Hayden is my hero.

(Tues) January 7th, 2014

Today was the day that Hayden had her "port a cath" put in and her lumbar puncture procedure done. For anyone that doesn't know what those are I will explain it the best way I possibly can. A port a cath is something that through a surgical procedure was placed in her upper right chest area and is going to be her life saver for the next while. Medicine/treatment can be given through this, and also she can have her blood taken from it to so she won't look like a used pin cushion anymore. With her being so little and her veins being so small it was difficult for the nurses to find veins, and sometimes even after the 3rd and 4th try it still wasn't happening. This port a cath will make sure she doesn't have to go through that torture anymore. It looks like a little bump under her skin, and its hardly noticable at all.
The lumbar puncture is a procedure where they go in at the base of the spine (I think the base anyways.. definintely in that area), and test the fluids around her spine and brain to make sure that the Leukemia cells aren't hiding there, and aren't able to attack later on once we stop treatment.  She also got a dose of chemo today too during the lumbar puncture.
The whole procedure took only an hour for both to be done, and daddy and I waited in the waiting room like nervous wrecks.  She was taken down at 2:30, surgery started at 3:10, we got word she was out at 4:10 and we finally got to go see her around 5:15.
I have to say, and will say over and over again.. This hospital is amazing. They have everything accesible to us (even this laptop that i'm writing this from). They have brought us a dvd player for hayden to watch movies.. free wifi.. parking passes.. food vouchers. You name it, chances are they will get it for us. A woman from Child Life even brought us bubbles for us to blow for her after finding out how much she loves them.
Our doctors and nurses are truly incredible. They are so patient with all of us, and are walking us through this bumpy road with all of the help they can possibly give.
We are taking this all one day at a time. Hayden has no idea what is going on, and is not in pain. And even though she would much rather be at home with her kitties and her toys, I think she knows she needs to be here in order to get better and win this crazy battle.
She fights with the nurses when they come to check her vitals or to take blood, she is as bright as the sun when she wakes up from her naps, and she has a smile that lets us all know she's going to be just fine.   And because of all this.. all the crap she has to deal with, all of the sleepless nights because of nurses checking her vitals every so often.. all of the procedures she has had to go through.. and all of the smiles she has given all of us after its all said and done, makes her my hero.
I'm not sure what tomorrow is going to bring, I think we talk to a nurse practioner about how to care for her once we are able to go home, and likely speak to the doctors again about her procedure from today.
Jon and I both want you all to know how unbelievably greatful we are for all of the love and support, the continuous prayers you keep sending out, for the offers to help us in anyway possible, for the gifts for hayden (blankets, minnie mouse dolls, care packages),  and for all of the extended support from people that haven't even met Hayden that have offered to take family pictures for us, knit hats for her, make stuffed animals and so on. 
To my sweet friend Mary-Ann who is designing hair clips in honour of sweet Miss H, and to my sweet and amazing sister in law who from miles away has taken it upon herself to design t-shirts for #goteamhayden , thank you for your time, love and support. Our family and friends have been our rocks. We know how much each and everyone of you love our sweet Hayden, and she knows it too. So it's one day at a time and one procedure after the next until our little girl gets better.  Don't worry though.. she's got this, she's gonna fight it like no other.
She's got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire, cause she is a champion and you're going to hear her roar :-)
#goteamhayden
Lindsay xo

P.S - I will update everyone as often as I possibly can with news on how she's doing through this blog site that my sister in law (Brianne xo) has set up for us. Please forgive me if my spelling and grammer are horrific at times. My brain is on over drive these days... luckily most of you should know me enough by now to figure out what i'm trying to say! Sweet dreams everyone :-) xo