Holly

Holly's Page

News, Updates and Prayer Requests

Thursday 22nd July 2010

Hello everyone
I guess you have all been wondering what the latest news is on Holly.  I haven't been able to update you all recently as it has just been one long round of hospital appointments for treatment since I last wrote.  Holly is now in the closing stages of her first year's chemotherapy.  As you know she was diagnosed last August 2009, and has been on major chemotherapy every since on virtually a daily basis.  We are now in the last six weeks of this very long and trumatic year and cannot thank you all enough for your support, letters and emails of love and hope, and many thousands of prayers for Holly's full recovery.  At the current time of writing, Holly has been battling to keep on weight and has been wired up to a feeding pump for up to 12 hours a night which has been helping to get extra calories into her.  This has been partially successful and she has had a couple of weeks break from this arduous extra task but it does look like another month's stint on this process may be needed again in the near future.  Holly returns to Southampton General on 3rd August to continue with her last block of major chemotherapy assuming that she is well enough to handle this most gruelling of treatments for the last month. 
Then light will be shining at the end of a very long tunnel which takes Holly onto a year of maintenance chemo which will be a lot lighter than that which she has coped admirally well with over the last 11 months.  Holly has so much to look forward to now and has been working quietly away at keeping her life on track for the future.  She has been taking her exams, started driving lessons and has also been accepted onto a full time course at the local college starting in September.  She has always been and continues to be the bravest person I know and I cannot tell her enough just how proud I am of her for getting through the last year in such a positive way. 
Thank you all again for your prayers...please keep them coming as she needs to stay on track and move forward to her maintenance year fit and healthy to ensure the leukemia stays away and never has a chance to gain and foothold in her life again.
Please stay in contact...we are sometimes isolated from the world and love hearing from you all, even if we dont always get a chance to respond.
Love to you All
Thank You
Cherryl & Holly

Me and My Mum!

Wedneasday 31st March 2010

"It has been some time since I have had a chance to update you on Holly's progress and I apologise for not having an opportunity earlier but life has been very hectic recently.  Thankfully Holly has coped relatively well with the last lot of chemotherapy and has been trying to keep life as normal as possible over the last few weeks.  However, she was admitted back into hospital late last night feeling very poorly with an infection.  She has had no immune system over the past few days and as a consequence is very open and prone to picking up infections very easily.  Unfortunately this is always bad news as an infection that is relatively harmless to you and I, can be very serious for Holly.  We are awaiting more news this morning as to her condition but I would ask you to keep Holly in your prayers over this coming Easter weekend and I hope to be able to report better news to you soon.  Thank you to all of you who have kept in contact with messages of support and love over the past few weeks.  Your love and prayers are always important to us both.  Just a reminder that I can be contacted on mobile no. 07764617663 and take this opportunity to wish you all a very peaceful and happy time over this coming Easter weekend.
Love Cherryl xx

Sunday 14th February 2010

"Yesterday Holly managed a whole day at school for the first time since last summer.  This may not seem a major achievement for many but for Holly it was great to see how pleased she was to be able to be in school and enjoy some lessons with her friends and teachers, all of whom have been so very supportive.  This was especially good for Holly after another gruelling day in Southampton General on chemotherapy on Thursday.  She has had a nasty cough for over a week and a chest x-ray showed continuing problems which required some extra medication so hopefully that will now clear.  Of course, a cough to us is just a bit of an inconvenience but to someone in Holly's situation it can turn into something very major unless it is dealt with swiftly.
This week saw the six month anniversary (if that is the best word for it) of Holly being diagnosed with Leukemia and I have to say that it seems very much longer to me, and we have another eighteen months to go on the current chemotherapy programme.  Your continued prayers and love and messages of support keep us going so please do continue to keep in contact and pray for Holly over the coming months. 
I will write again soon, Holly and I send all our love and thanks to you all"

Thursday 28th Jan 2010

"This week has made me feel so proud of Holly as she has finally ventured  back to school for a few hours this week.  She has been just too poorly to contemplate this in the past few months but she has been remarkably well these last two weeks and as we have had a short break in the chemotherapy sessions, she had the energy to go into Sandown High to catch up on some school work and just as importantly, some social time with her many friends.  As this is Holly's exam year she has missed just too much work to really catch up but at least she has been doing her best to show willing.  It is hoped that she will at least get some exam results based on predicted grades from her work previous to being diagnosed and Holly is now talking about going to college in September to do a full time course which is just amazing.  It is so good to see her looking ahead now instead of just from one day to the next, or even one hour to the next as has been the case for so long.
 
Tomorrow (Friday 29th January) we are travelling really early to be on the Southampton ward for 8am as the next batch of intense chemotherapy starts after Holly has a bone marrow test and lumber puncture operation under general anesthetic in the morning.  As you may remember back in the Autumn we were all waiting on a test to show us that the leukemia was in remission...well tomorrow the same test is being repeated so please focus your prayers on Holly's continued healing and for a safe and successful day in surgery tomorrow.  The afternoon brings the start of "intensification chemotherapy" which lasts for a few weeks and will mean many visits to both St Marys and Southampton hospitals so please also pray that Holly will not be too affected by the sickness that usually accompanies this treatment and that she will continue to be well enough to attend school throughout the process.  I know so many of you continue to pray daily for Holly and we cannot thank you enough for all your wonderful prayers and messages of support and love.  I think you will agree that she has benefitted each and every day since all this started and God's healing has certainly touched all our lives along with Holly.  God's Love Is Amazing.
 
God Bless You for continuing to read these updates and for all your prayers...please keep them coming.

With Much Love 

Cherryl  and Holly

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