Camp Quality Junior Camp Photos

above a few photos from Flip-side Circus where Alex is learning tricks :)

Below 2 from the camp 

IT IS NOT OVER WHEN IT IS OVER

It is not Over when its Over

We certainly experience a huge sigh of relief when our child reaches the end of their cancer treatment.

Seeing your child suffer through toxic chemotherapy, Radiation, Surgeries and Possibly endless illnesses the end of this merry-go-round of treatment is magical. we all dream of "the end". When you are in the middle of treatment the end can seem far, far away (especially for leukemia Patients). Every day spent in Hospital feels like two in "real life".

some people celebrate the end of treatment with a party - the kids certainly deserve to celebrate their new beginnings.

Your family and friends congratulate you for reaching the end of the treatment/hospitalization as your child is "all Better" now. and they are - better that is! The end of treatment should also signify remission which is where we all want to be.

Slowly life becomes a "new Normal". Mum and Dad may return to work or study if they were able to take time off. Older kids will return to school on a more regular basis. Younger kids will simply revel in being at home every day. Routines set in and we can all pretend the last six/nine/twelve months were simply a very, very bad dream.

Then your child does something that makes your adrenaline rush. It could be a completely innocent vomit, complaint  of a headache, a sore leg, a sore arm, a sore tummy but we all know better now. You try not to panic, try to be rational given the circumstances your brain goes into overdrive and your heart is pounding. You sit down with your husband and try to talk it out and make adult decisions. You try to calm down and say"we will keep an eye on it, its probably nothing." And it probably is nothing.

But it is not over when it is over. It is never over.

Cancer is so insidious, is can move in again stealthly. It doesn't hold a party to say "I'm Back, Come and get me this time." You will never know if it is back until your child starts presenting with symptoms again or a regular checkup shows something is going on.

Sadly for some the return of the beast becomes a reality. For the rest we go on living each day in hope that the beast does not return. There are the regular check-ups we have to endure - well not really endure, we like them because they put our minds at ease - temporarily.

SCANXIETY. The terrible, gut-wrenching anxiety we start to feel in the lead up to the tests followed by the week or so afterwards for our meeting with the oncologists for the results. we like to think is we do not hear from the hospital before our appointment then everything is fine.

We do not choose to live like this. We do not choose any of it, it chooses us. We are not seeking more sympathy than has already been provided by our friends and family. We just need continued support for the long term. this is the reality after you have traveled the cancer road with your child.

As a parent we are forever shrouded by the reality of our situation. it may be one month - or twenty years - after the end of treatment. we will forever fear the return of the beast.

However, it does slowly recede into a small niggle in the back of your mind rather than the sledge hammer feeling experienced post treatment. It is not always screaming away in our heads increasing our anxiety. However it will be louder again the closer you get to scan/testing time and it will be yelling, making your head pound as you hang around waiting for the results. However when you receive a good result the high level of anxiety reduces once again to a small niggle - until next time!

Once the test with a god result period passes we again settle back into the new normal life we now live. This, however, will continue to be tempered with occasional moments of fear and anxiety but a life of hope that our children will never again succumb again to the beast of cancer

~~~~

this is copied from a fellow mums Page and shows our feelings and anxiety

Junior Camp April 2012

girls went on Junior Camp this weekend with Camp Quality they left friday at the circus and we picked them up today at the bus station like last year,

like last time they had a great time and the theme is Circus this year :) girls went as acrobats with their fairy dresses and leggings and head bands to make the costume,

Robyn had an issue with her eczema just before they went and I had to get cortisone cream for her ( not happy but needed to clear it up) but then ordered natural stuff to try stop it coming back ♥

the weekend away we just stayed home and enjoyed the quiet, watched movies and relaxed, Friday "Jon the Beast" a good Friend of Hubbies was in town up from South Australia, He caught up with us at the pub, then he stayed the night with us,

Girls ready for Camp

Alex excited 

all ready for Camp

Girls with their companions for the weekend

Jon and Hubby with a lovely waitress 

Saturday Morning Hubby and I went to see Battleship, pretty good movie, we then did some window shopping and came home to relax, played X Box 360 and I got whooped lol hehe Girls are better then me

Sunday we picked up Girls at the Bus station in Brisbane and it was good to see them home again ♥ we did want to go for a morning Ride on Ren ( Hubbies Harley) but it was raining and he didn't want me getting wet too he does ride in the rain though :). so we stayed home and enjoyed the quiet for the couple of hours before the hour drive to Brisbane to pick up the girls.

they had a wonderful time and went to school yesterday but Alex has her Bad cough back ( the one that just keeps coming back with no other issues ) and Robyn was jumping on the beds last night and split her lip so today we are having a relaxing day home and back to school tomorrow♥

this was on our garage door last night he is watching the girls talk to him

More Photos to come as the Companion took them for me and will send a CD later ♥ so will do another post later

Easter weekend

this year the girls got lots of chocolate eggs and a bathrobe as they grew out of the old ones

we also spent the weekend at home relaxing hehe if there is such a thing
I took the camera out and took some mummy snaps ♥

our First CCS camp

this weekend we had our first Camp with CCS we went to camp Crystal
CRYSTAL its what is in the name that counts :) -  "Cancer Related Youth Time Allocated to Laughter" 


this weekend we met some old and new faces we have seen over the last 3 years and enjoyed the weekend full of fun with the girls :)

we took the girls down on Friday and they missed the last day of school term but we did have MacDonald's for brunch on way down, then headed to Aratula then inland to Thompson farm and over the bremer river to find our camp home for 3 days,

friday the girls got face painting and painting plus playing in the sand pit, that night they toasted marshmallows on the fire while talking about Yowies :)
Saturday we went out in a 4WD and yes we went bush bashing litterally wow the adrenilin pumps hard then but it was awsome ( Alex was a little scared) we went up and down steep banks and through rivers, but also got to see the wild side of the property :)... we were one of 2 cars that made it up one hill but we went first and watched the next one have a go and get up on third attempt then next 3 cars tried with no luck so route was changed ( we had the car with high suspension and meaty tread on those Tyre's :)

the hill we went up then watched as no others made it 

today they had horse rides and the girls had a ball they also did tie dying, rabbit ears Leather and wood work, the girls went on both Cart and Gypsy Wagon, that night before Dinner they climbed Milk Crated Alex made it to 6 and Robyn made it to 8 well done girls,  after dinner it was the highlight of Camp the kids get to go Yowie Hunting  the girls both got partners so I got to relax and watch from the bottom of the hil and listen to all the screams and fun ( it was dark so all we could see was blue and yellow glow sticks )
Robyn got to pat one and Alex had one run past and almost knock her over, one poor Yowie was a war victim to a slight head injury, but was OK once they actually got his Kit off (yes the yowies where defence personnel in full snippet camouflager kit :)  )

sunday was home day so we started packing up early then went for Breaky more pony rides and wagon rides :) crafts and a Family photo infront of the banner for 2012.

Camp Banner

we left just before lunch as Robyn was tired ( she slept all the way home and then 2 hours at home)

wow what a great weekend away and thanks CCS and all the volunteers that made this weekend away possible