Our Pal - Caitlin

Story written 2012

Caitlin was born two weeks overdue and was a very healthy little girl weighing 8lb 1oz. She was a very fast learner and was on target growing up and hitting her milestones.

She had just finished her first term at school and even overcome her fear of water and did great in swimming lessons too. We broke up for school in December and Caitlin had been very restless pretty much from her 4th birthday in May, she was tired all the time and had weird bruises from playing with her sister and suffered nose bleeds at least once a month.

Well, Caitlin had a nose bleed for a week and we had had enough of doctors telling us it was normal, so on the 4th of January I’d had enough and went to A&E. After four hours of waiting we were seen and Caitlin had four doctors, two nurses, and someone from ENT (ear, nose and throat) come into this tiny room. Finally, after much poking, he said Caitlin’s blood test was showing some abnormal cells so decided to put a cannula in to do a full blood count.

We were taken into the children’s ward and had settled Caitlin down for the night (as we had now been in A&E for 9 hours and it had taken its toll). At 10pm we were taken into a side room away from Caitlin and two nurses and Caitlin’s doctor were there waiting. All I remember is the doctor said Caitlin had some abnormal cells and then I heard the crushing words CAITLIN HAS LEUKAEMIA.

We were rushed to Addenbrookes hospital where Caitlin endured test after test, cannula after cannula, and was put on 24/7 fluids and antibiotics until the 6th of January when we were told she has A.L.L.

It’s now the 29^th March and Caitlin has had 29 cannulas, 17 finger prick tests, fluids and leg injections galore, and we are now in week 10 of her new regimin C as regimin A wasnt working (this just means it is very intense). After having a neuro-gastric tube fitted, Caitlin had to have her hickman line removed as it was causing some dangerous temperatures and she was very ill.

Caitlin made a grown up decision at four years of age and said she was losing so much hair she wanted it shaved off.

My Nan lost her battle to leukaemia on the 18th of January so it has been quite a bad start to the year and Caitlin has been an inspiration and a rock for me and her step dad Luke.

I can’t imagine life without my daughters and Jessica (Caitlin’s younger sister) has been a guiding light and helped to keep Caitlin smiling throughout this whole ordeal.

We are blessed with our little fighter and her side kick.

Update 30th April 2014

I’d just like to say thank you to you all but I think it’s now time we stepped back and moved on from Post Pals as Caitlin received her last chemo today!!! We are over the moon and Caitlin is one happy bunny!

We’d love to thank you all for the post we received. Jessie loved her little gifts and notes from all over the world and learning about cultures. We have had some rather odd times, some good, bad, and horrifying times, but little Caitlin has done it – she won her battle!

We will now be writing to Pals and sending gifts, because although it may seem small to the person sending, receiving post is amazing and fills our hearts with love and fills our prayers with people to bless. Thank you all so very much for making my babies so happy when we’ve not had a great few years. They’re my little rocks and without them I’m just Alisha. You kept the smiles on our faces. We will take all our post we ever received out of our memory boxes, spread them out, and take photos of us and our new amazing friends.

Again, thank you so much. We love you and bless you every day. Take care xxxxx

Update 2nd September 2013

Morning everyone. From June until today the girls and I have been non stop. Caitlin had a rough month with a long stay in hospital with CMV pneumonia and I was quite close to losing her. Jessica stayed with my mum and saw her daddy weekends, but I couldn’t see her incase any germs caught would harm Caitlin. After we were home it was hard adjusting to our little routine again but the girls were amazing. My little rocks.

I do have some amazing news… the girls start school this week. Caitlin on Wednesday and Jessica on Friday. Cait will do Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for the whole day eeekkkk! Jessie will be doing all week afternoon sessions.

I have to warn you all we have a Beliber on our hands… Cait has gone Justin Bieber crazy!!! Posters, t-shirts, even a wallpaper on my mobile!! She’s hunting for him when we go out! It’s actually so heart warming because that’s a sign she is still keeping her innocence and childhood. We’re even getting out on her bike with Jessie too.

I want to say a massive thank you to our Becki and all our friends. Every week we get letters and pictures and the girls are so happy. Me… it just makes me so proud and happy that even when people have their own troubles they still give their time to make my greatest achievements, my daughters, start their days smiling and chatting about their friends all over the world.

I can’t thank Post Pals enough… there were good times you were there and sad times and the dark times. Always there with your smiles, pictures, letters, and kind words, to pick us all back up. We love you all and are blessed with you all in our lives.

Caitlin, Jessica, and mummy Alisha xxx

Update 9th June 2013

Caitlin has been diagnosed with Pneumocystis Pneumonia and is being transferred to Great Ormond Street for further treatment.

Update 8th June 2013

Caitlin is in hospital and on oxygen as her sats were low. She managed a good half hour to 45 minutes on her own before having to go back on. She has an ultrasound tomorrow to check in there for anything suspicious. At the moment Caitlin is resting on her oxygen and her sats are ok. With her antibiotics up now and a cocktail of meds throughout her day, we’re praying that she is home soon.

Update 15th April 2013

What a year we have had. We have been so busy since our last update in November.

Caitlin got taken out of school as she had a very bad case of shingles and then as she started to recover she had a very bad nosebleed but she soon bounced back. We had our meeting with Caitlins school where we arranged for her to slowly start again, but she got a rare infection in her wiggly (hickman line) which really upset her as she was in hospital for so long. We managed to get home from hospital just in time for Christmas.

Caitlin and Jessica were very blessed and received lots of cards from all over the world. For New Year, Jessica went to daddys, so me and caitlin had lots of fun making New Years decorations and visiting family.

Since our stay in hospital in December, Caitlin has been doing well with her new doses of chemotherapy at home and we started to do little science experiments and had lots of fun in the snow too.

Now it is April and I celebrated my 25th birthday and the girls spoilt me with lots of kisses and cuddles and even cuddled up and watched my favorite Disney movie with me (the little mermaid).

Today I visited the school and we have set a new target to get Caitlin back in to school and we have all agreed we are happy with the progress she has made and I am very happy and excited that Caitlin is going back to school. I’m confident she will be happy and do so well.

I wish you all happiness, luck, love, and kisses, from me and the girls.

Update 25th November 2012

Caitlin has now begun her maintenance treatment again after a 4 week break due to shingles and a bad temperature.

Caitlin will now also be allowed to attend part time at a main stream school!! I am absolutely bursting with happiness that Caitlin can snatch back her education after attending one half day since December last year! Jessica will also be attending nursery

part time as well so they will go to school and nursery at the same time and be picked up at the same time.

Jessica is going to be tested for diabetes because a spell in A&E has shown her sugar levels are very abnormal for her. We are waiting for her blood and sugar test date. Jessica has been amazing with Caitlin and was such a brave girl with all those doctors prodding her with needles. It was horrible and took me back to the worry with Caitlin, but Caitlin called me as she was in hospital (my sister was with her) and said ‘It’s ok mummy we know how to beat cancer now.’ It made me melt.

Me and the girls daddy are no longer together, but we are now finding a balance with being very proud parents and keeping our beautiful girls happy, and that’s all that matters to us.