We have just returned from a gala fundraiser for the National Brain Tumor Foundation to benefit the Brain Tumor Institute at Children's National Medical Center. The event was held at the Italian Embassy - the food and wine were delicious, it was an elegant affair and a fascinating insight into how well Americans do fundraising.
When we checked in at the door, I recognised one of the helpers as one of the Race for Hope Organisers. When I gave my name she said "of course, Team Impavido!" Impressive, given how many names and teams participate in that event.
We were truly grateful to our group of friends who joined us this evening. We enjoyed meeting with Isabella's doctors and nurses, who greeted us as old friends, teasing Gregorio (for the second time this month) that it was good to see him in a tux! (that's DJ to my half of the world or smoking to Gregorio's) More importantly it was a very moving evening to hear the young pediatric survivors who stood up and told their story. When one 16 year old boy stood up and said his name - Gregorio and I both looked at each other - he had been going through treatment when Isabella was under-going chemo, he was someone she looked up to, she even copied him for a whole week wearing the "cancer sucks" hat like him. We went expressly to see Kung Fu Panda II as his make a wish granted him the possibility of a small voice over part. He has had a long journey through surgery, chemo and now radiation. But what was astounding was the fact that he stood before a large crowd this evening and told his story with confidence and maturity way beyond his years. There was barely a dry eye in the house. He was an inspiration several years ago, now I pray that Isabella's experience will continue to make her stronger as a result.
I am left humbled by these brave children and feel the warmth and support of truly good friends.
Emma.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Thursday, November 22, 2012
A time to be Thankful
I have just finished washing up the last glass. It has been a marathon Thanksgiving but a truly wonderful one. One seriously large roast turkey, 9kg of roast potatoes, all the trimmings, a little porchetta on the side from Gregorio, copious amounts of wine and the most delicious desserts supplied by the dessert ladies. Our dear friends (a mere 20 of them - yes a lot of children too) arrived at 12:30 and the last guest left at 10pm. It has been a celebration of eating and drinking but more importantly a very special, and at times, hilarious day - complete with singing and music from all. A memorable day.
It might sound like a cliche but as I was clearing up our Thanksgiving meal I did reflect on how fortunate we are. We are lucky to have Isabella in our lives - a brave and courageous girl (and a serious help in getting all the food ready this morning); we thank our lucky stars for Matilde, whose unique creativity and comedy keep us abnormal every day and we are grateful to all of you - our family and supportive friends near and far. It is four years since Gregorio wrote about our wall of support. Since then that wall has grown taller and wider. Thank you.
With lots of love,
Emma & Gregorio. xxx
It might sound like a cliche but as I was clearing up our Thanksgiving meal I did reflect on how fortunate we are. We are lucky to have Isabella in our lives - a brave and courageous girl (and a serious help in getting all the food ready this morning); we thank our lucky stars for Matilde, whose unique creativity and comedy keep us abnormal every day and we are grateful to all of you - our family and supportive friends near and far. It is four years since Gregorio wrote about our wall of support. Since then that wall has grown taller and wider. Thank you.
With lots of love,
Emma & Gregorio. xxx
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Forward!
It has been a busy week in this part of the world - positive feedback from Isabella and Matilde - along with many others :-) on the re-election of Obama.
Health wise Isabella has had a good week. Round two and three (weeks two and three) of this first cycle were quite tough on Isabella. She had quite a few upset stomachs and some pretty bad stomach pain but the thing that really irritated her was the eczema rash all over her body and her face. However, here we are at the end of week four and everything seems to be under control. The nurses gave us a whole host of creams and potions and Isabella is excited by new things and looking after her body and has applied the creams with enthusiasm twice daily. She is also a lot less tired than she was a week or so ago. All this to say she is adapting to the new medication BUT as Isabella said herself today "I just hope these pills are attacking the tumor"
Yet despite knowing the upset the pills are causing her she is such a good patient and takes the pills twice daily without any resistance. Even at 6am every morning, she sits up takes the pills and then lays back down for another hours sleep (when she can get up and have breakfast)
The next MRI is scheduled for December 8th. It is a good catholic date, so we are hoping for some divine intervention and some good news that the medication is at least stabilizing the tumor's growth if not shrinking it.
November is charity month in the Impavido household. No guesses as to our preferred charity. We are attending a number of events to raise funds for Brain Tumor research and I am also hosting an annual event this week for girlfriends, the opportunity to shop and donate to a good cause. If you are in the DC area and you haven't received an invitation - let me know!
Meanwhile the girls are gearing up for a number of performances. We have the Hansel and Gretel pantomime next week prior to our big turkey feast for Thanksgiving. Matilde is skittering and bobbing around the place in preparation for her role in the Nutcracker which starts Thanksgiving week-end. Beyond that we are looking forward to the cousins arriving for a few days and the Italian grandparents beyond that for Christmas time. Lots to keep us busy.
We'll update you when we have more news.
Lots of love,
Emma & Gregorio. xxx
Health wise Isabella has had a good week. Round two and three (weeks two and three) of this first cycle were quite tough on Isabella. She had quite a few upset stomachs and some pretty bad stomach pain but the thing that really irritated her was the eczema rash all over her body and her face. However, here we are at the end of week four and everything seems to be under control. The nurses gave us a whole host of creams and potions and Isabella is excited by new things and looking after her body and has applied the creams with enthusiasm twice daily. She is also a lot less tired than she was a week or so ago. All this to say she is adapting to the new medication BUT as Isabella said herself today "I just hope these pills are attacking the tumor"
Yet despite knowing the upset the pills are causing her she is such a good patient and takes the pills twice daily without any resistance. Even at 6am every morning, she sits up takes the pills and then lays back down for another hours sleep (when she can get up and have breakfast)
The next MRI is scheduled for December 8th. It is a good catholic date, so we are hoping for some divine intervention and some good news that the medication is at least stabilizing the tumor's growth if not shrinking it.
November is charity month in the Impavido household. No guesses as to our preferred charity. We are attending a number of events to raise funds for Brain Tumor research and I am also hosting an annual event this week for girlfriends, the opportunity to shop and donate to a good cause. If you are in the DC area and you haven't received an invitation - let me know!
Meanwhile the girls are gearing up for a number of performances. We have the Hansel and Gretel pantomime next week prior to our big turkey feast for Thanksgiving. Matilde is skittering and bobbing around the place in preparation for her role in the Nutcracker which starts Thanksgiving week-end. Beyond that we are looking forward to the cousins arriving for a few days and the Italian grandparents beyond that for Christmas time. Lots to keep us busy.
We'll update you when we have more news.
Lots of love,
Emma & Gregorio. xxx
Sunday, November 4, 2012
What can I say?
Well first of all to update you on things here in DC. Superstorm Sandy skirted DC and we survived with very little damage and we didn't even loose power. We had followed all the preparations, I had emptied the sunroom (I am convinced that the large tree in the backyard - technically in the neighbors - will come down on the sunroom roof or through our large picture windows one day) we removed all vases etc from the garden, we charged all our electrical equipment, we took out cash from the ATM, the girls and I slept in the basement and we waited it out. Gregorio and I got an amazing amount of work done, the girls enjoyed an enormous amount of TV, we introduced the girls to monopoly and we did not get dressed for several days it seems! Thankfully it blew over and after an extra two days at home it was back to school and work and our regular routine. We were fortunate, the images from New York and New Jersey are pretty shocking. Mother Nature is a powerful force.
The storm, as many of you realised, did interfere with a number of things, including spending the whole of day 14 of the trial at the hospital for another rounds of blood draws. With everything closed they asked us to go two days later. So Gregorio took Isabella last Thursday. A long day again, but all went smoothly. Isabella has been doing incredibly well, there have been some minor side effects but thankfully she seems to be tolerating the medication well. So we will continue for two more weekly visits and then we will visit only once a month. At the beginning of December we have an MRI lined up and hope to hear some good news that the medication is having some positive effect on the tumor.
A number of you have written or spoken to us recently regarding Isabella's tumor and new treatment and for fear of sounding repetitive I would like to say again - thank you grazie, merci etc for your continued support. I have been thinking about this for a while. It is hard to know what to say in these situations, I know, honestly. Whether you are standing over the yogurts in the supermarket trying to decide which one the kids want this week and then you see me and hesitate to say hello, or you have spotted me in the shoe department and you run up and give me a hug, or there is an extra squeeze when you greet us with a kiss and hug, or a message that says "just wanted to say hello" we know you have heard the news and we are very appreciative you have made the effort to ask and see how we are doing. Words really don't matter in these situations. Thank you for showing your support. It does help. That original tidal wave of cyber (and real) support continues to sustain us.
Meanwhile we continue to try and keep life normal and not be taken aback by each development or new side effect. Gregorio is a true master at sounding calm when he needs to, but sometimes I know that my face speaks volumes and the girls pick up on that. I keep looking at my birthday card on my desk "Keep Calm and Carry On"
Winter has definitely arrived (we are sitting by the fire as I write this) and we are now gearing up to the festive season. We have a big lunch party planned for Thanksgiving. This will be followed by a visit from the British cousins (and their parents) which we are really looking forward to. The Italian grandparents arrive shortly after that for Christmas. And to keep us entertained we have our Snow Angel, Mati dancing in the Washington Ballet's Nutcracker again this holiday season. Contact me if you want to know which dates you can catch her on stage - there are ten opportunities and while I might sound like a biaised mother, it is a beautiful show. Isabella will also be singing with The Children's Chorus of Washington in several Holiday concerts around town. Oh and I nearly forgot there is the school panto before all that. The girls are dancing around the house sining all the tunes, a few key lines have already stuck in my head.
Think that's all for now, we'll update you when we have some news.
Lots of love,
Emma & Gregorio xxx
The storm, as many of you realised, did interfere with a number of things, including spending the whole of day 14 of the trial at the hospital for another rounds of blood draws. With everything closed they asked us to go two days later. So Gregorio took Isabella last Thursday. A long day again, but all went smoothly. Isabella has been doing incredibly well, there have been some minor side effects but thankfully she seems to be tolerating the medication well. So we will continue for two more weekly visits and then we will visit only once a month. At the beginning of December we have an MRI lined up and hope to hear some good news that the medication is having some positive effect on the tumor.
A number of you have written or spoken to us recently regarding Isabella's tumor and new treatment and for fear of sounding repetitive I would like to say again - thank you grazie, merci etc for your continued support. I have been thinking about this for a while. It is hard to know what to say in these situations, I know, honestly. Whether you are standing over the yogurts in the supermarket trying to decide which one the kids want this week and then you see me and hesitate to say hello, or you have spotted me in the shoe department and you run up and give me a hug, or there is an extra squeeze when you greet us with a kiss and hug, or a message that says "just wanted to say hello" we know you have heard the news and we are very appreciative you have made the effort to ask and see how we are doing. Words really don't matter in these situations. Thank you for showing your support. It does help. That original tidal wave of cyber (and real) support continues to sustain us.
Meanwhile we continue to try and keep life normal and not be taken aback by each development or new side effect. Gregorio is a true master at sounding calm when he needs to, but sometimes I know that my face speaks volumes and the girls pick up on that. I keep looking at my birthday card on my desk "Keep Calm and Carry On"
Winter has definitely arrived (we are sitting by the fire as I write this) and we are now gearing up to the festive season. We have a big lunch party planned for Thanksgiving. This will be followed by a visit from the British cousins (and their parents) which we are really looking forward to. The Italian grandparents arrive shortly after that for Christmas. And to keep us entertained we have our Snow Angel, Mati dancing in the Washington Ballet's Nutcracker again this holiday season. Contact me if you want to know which dates you can catch her on stage - there are ten opportunities and while I might sound like a biaised mother, it is a beautiful show. Isabella will also be singing with The Children's Chorus of Washington in several Holiday concerts around town. Oh and I nearly forgot there is the school panto before all that. The girls are dancing around the house sining all the tunes, a few key lines have already stuck in my head.
Think that's all for now, we'll update you when we have some news.
Lots of love,
Emma & Gregorio xxx
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)