We are home!

Well the title of this post says it all!  Abby completed her treatment on Saturday September 15 and was able to ring the chime in the lobby of the UF Proton Center.  Wednesday was her last patient lunch and she played "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" on her ukulele.  She brought the whole room to tears and got a standing ovation.  After lunch they took her graduation photo with the other patients that completed their treatment this week!  We have met so many wonderful people while going through this experience and cannot thank the other families, staff at the UF Proton Center and the Ronald McDonald House enough.  

When we flew out of Jacksonville the temperature was 30 degrees and when we landed in Calgary it was 3 degrees!  Quite the difference but we are so happy to be home!  Abby was hoping that there would  be snow on the ground but I guess she will have to wait a little while for that!

We have had quite the adventure!  A lot of firsts for Abby .  First flight, first hotel stay, first visit to the ocean, first radiation treatment, first eclipse, first trip to Disney, Universal, Sea world, Kennedy space Center, St. Augustine (her favourite), first alligator sighting, first star fish rescue, first hurricane, first evacuation, first flood, first standing ovation and lots more!  

Abby is doing well and will be headed back to school on Monday.  She is excited to see her friends, meet her teacher, and get settled back into a regular routine!  

Her next MRI will be in 6 weeks and they will also do some cognitive testing for baseline and blood tests to keep track of her endocrinology.  The radiation treatments usually affect the level of meds that are needed so they will have to monitor them to make any necessary adjustments over the next few weeks.

Now that we are home we will wait to hear from her team at the Stollery to see what is next.  Till then we will enjoy being home and get settled back into our regular routine.

 Ringing the chimes after the last treatment
 

Jacksonville Beach before flooding

 
Disney Characters visit the Ronald McDonald House

 Family was able to be together for a week

 
Ecipse

 
Working off the fried foods

 
At Disney World


 
Exhausted


 Flooding from the hurricane

 
Church in Jacksonville helping flood victims


 
St Augustine, the oldest city in the U.S.

 
A museum piece in St. Augustine
 
Kennedy Space Center
 
Flying home

 

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