A big step for Charlotte: confidence growing

So proud of our sweet girl as she decided herself to have both her CT and MRI today without sedation. She did beautifully! The MRI images her head/brain and she must lay still with her head enclosed in a vice so she doesn’t move it. The machine is very loud and the “tunnel” has scared her in the past. But today she made the choice herself to stay awake and happily laid there for the 40 minute scan (and was able to watch some of a movie during it too🥰). The CT (picture above) is quicker and over in minutes as it images her chest, abdomen, and pelvis. Tomorrow is the long MIBG scan which she just hasn’t wanted to try awake yet. For all these scans, Charlotte’s little body is flushed with toxic chemicals and radiation every few months for the necessary imaging, hurting our hearts every time. Today, she received contrast for the CT, contrast for the MRI, AND a radioactive tracer injection for tomorrow’s MIBG, thankfully no sedation narcotics. Scan toxicity is a real concern for these kids and it’s something we can not look away from even though we feel helpless against it. So we employ extra fluids, increase healthy foods, use detoxifying baths with Epsom salt, administer potassium iodide drops, along with some other measures to help combat the damaging effects from imaging. Charlotte will have imaging as part of her care for many years still and although we are so so grateful for this technology, it’s one more drop in her bucket of toxic therapy so we try to be as protective as we can be so it doesn’t spill over and cause her long term harm. But in the end...we are powerless against the current of childhood cancer and its demands.

The second picture here was my memory 2 years ago TODAY from Charlotte’s make a wish trip❤️🌈! It was one of the happiest times in our lives and we are so grateful to MAW Eastern NC. Today was the day she carried her little home made gifts to give Princess Alaina in Magic Kingdom, getting her wish granted. Of course we prayed every single day her cancer would truly be gone, granting our own wish. We believed it was so but it was not meant to be. Her cancer would return 9 months later like a thief in the night. Yet, we DO keep believing she can and will be free of this disease. We believe her scans can and will be clear this week, giving her another chance to keep moving away from its clutches. We believe God is with us and is carrying her every step. We believe cancer will not win. Keep sending up those prayers you all❤️🌈 #charlottestrong