Basketball Senior Night 2018

Elaina, Kimberly, Samantha, Logan, Kiki--Seniors 2018

This was the Worst Night Ever.
Senior Night.
Elaina's last basketball game.
I can't even.

She began playing Upward in second grade. She showed a little interest in playing basketball on into middle school, but only sort of as a passing idea or concept--she didn't think she'd actually play for real for real.

Then this bizarre twist of fate happened. In seventh grade Elaina had a growth spurt. Like big one. She went from 5'3 to 5'7 over two years. She was one of the tallest kids in the middle school. And coach, Todd Stephens, had an even bigger problem on the varsity team--he had 4 seniors who were getting ready to graduate and no tall girls coming up. When he approached Elaina and another girl in her grade about playing on the basketball team I pulled him aside and said, "You've got to be kidding. Have you seen her run?"

He laughed and promised that he would take care of her and that it would be good for her in every possible way. I trusted Todd more than maybe anyone I have ever worked with before. He was dead on the money; it was very, very good for her.

Now, everyone knows that I almost worship my children. It's a borderline problem. So, when I tell this you need to keep that fact in mind.

Elaina is clumsy.

Like seriously, she's the most clumsy person in the world. She was so uncoordinated and lacked balance like you can't believe. This is the kid we put in gymnastics not to learn tumbling but so she'd stop falling over so much. (I'm not kidding.)

Case in point: One night I was sitting in the stands a little too closely to the opposing team. Elaina Big Number 3 took to the floor and did her loping, awkward T-Rex run up the court, and a lady turned to her friend and loud whispered, "It is so sweet when they let the special-needs kids play like that." I snort laughed. (So did Naynuh when I told her later that night.)

When Coach Caleb took over the team in her eighth grade year he had some average athletes who were all incredibly short, then these two eighth grade girls who were sort of tallish but had absolutely no playing time or experience (and Naynuh is almost challenged in her ability to run in a straight line).

The other tallish girl turned to Elaina the night before the first practice and declared that she was outie, so guess who was on deck? Elaina was literally told to get under the basket and get in the way. And she did.

Funny thing--Coach thought she was 16 for an entire year until she finally broke it to him that she was only 13 years old. She was just really tall and showed great maturity. She's been playing up ever since.

She might look like a special needs kid when she runs, but let me clarify a few things about my child and her athletic career.

• She played with a raging case of the flu once because Coach had no one else to put in her spot. She doped up, took a steroid shot (which she is DEATHLY AFRAID OF), and made three massive rebounds that night. I have never been more proud of anyone in my life. 
• When a tall girl enrolled in her grade at our school for a year and bumped Naynuh out of her starting spot, Elaina cheered loudly from the stands for that girl and her team. She never stopped cheering, considered quitting, or let her feelings get in the way of her commitment to the team. 
• She never missed a game--not a single one from seventh grade to twelfth. We even came home early from some vacations and missed some family events for basketball. She made a commitment and honored it. 
• She went to away basketball camp two years even though she called home every night crying to come home. 
• She never said, "I can't do that." 
• She never said, "I won't do that."
• She only fouled out of one game in her entire career.
• She played hurt (two massive sprained ankle injuries that required doctor's visits, pain killers, ice baths, special braces), played tired, played sick, and sometimes played positions she didn't understand. 

She is a richer, better person because of the sport of basketball, and I am eternally grateful to Todd Stephens, Caleb Jones, and Marilyn Jones (who coached her in volleyball and then recruited her for volleyball team manager when she decided she'd had enough of balls flying toward her head) for their influence and investment into the life of my child.

She learned hard, valuable lessons from your coaching and teaching. She learned hard work, overcoming challenging situations, dedication, commitment, team work, forgiveness, communication, how to find joy in the little things, how to win and lose gracefully, and most of all how to be a part of something bigger than personal desires. You loved my child and poured into her. She will always remember your life lessons. 

So many people poured into the sports experience by

simply showing up and being a part of...

If you have a child considering

playing a sport, I want to tell you this--they will learn as much from the friendships, the bus rides, the failures, the losses, the injuries, the ridiculousness, the pep rallies, the meals after games, the gossip, the coaching wins and coaching fails, the temper tantrums, the missed calls by the refs, the gimmie calls by the refs, the school spirit, the responsibility, the practices, the conditioning, and the interpersonal relationships than they will learn from any single victory. Win, lose, or draw, it was absolutely, unequivocally worth it in every single conceivable meaning of the words. Worth. It. 

I am proud beyond all measure of my beautiful Elaina. Not for any accomplishment, but simply because she refused to quit and kept on in spite of. I love you, Naynuh. Go Big #3!!!! 

#3 Getting big in the paint

8th grade playing varsity. She's supposed to be playing defense on that sasquatch on her left. 

#3 on the defense

Both my babies are #3. 

I Already Knew I had a Houseful of Queens.

Big Week in Johnsonville.

So...we had homecoming 2017-2018

Hannah came back to crown (since she was the reigning Homecoming Queen her senior year 2016-2017). Elise and Elaina were both on the homecoming court as senior class representatives. More shocking than that was the fact that Lilly was nominated for seventh grade class representatives. So, all of my girls were involved in one way or another. It was really incredibly special and won't ever be that way again.

Sister, Naynuh, Karebear, Grandbear, Big E, and the Little Flower

Elaina, Lilly, Hannah

Aunt KK came to see us crowned! (She really doesn't need a tiara.) 

Lilly's idiot friends. (Duh, I'm popular.)

Fun Bus members from way back: Tanner and Clyde

Grandbear escorted Elaina

Carter escorted Big E

I love this photo--Hannah holding the crown in the background watching C and E walk. 

Squad up.

Seniors: Elaina, Kiki, Elise, Kim, Samantha (Original G Fun Bus Squad)

E didn't really need a crown to solidify her rule as Queen.

The Little Flower proving that miracles happen. 

Beginning of the Ending

All the news thus far...

So, here it is...the last day of our in-patient chemo cycle. It has simultaneously lasted a blink of an eye and an eternity. (Time is a trick like that.)

Next up, we had our consultation yesterday with Dr. Keene (our radiation oncologist at UAB) to set up a "mapping" CT. Basically, they will take intense measurements and make a "mask" to ensure that the radiation only hits the smallest area possible while targeting the tumor on her esophogus/windpipe/aorta. They are hopeful that the tumor is almost non-existent when we begin the radiation and that it's only given as a precaution to avoid recurrence.

The radiation will target the first place the cancer was detected and aim at completely erradicating it. It will remove even microscopic things that can't be detected yet but might still be there. The biggest fear with the type of cancer Elise has is that reoccurance almost always occurs at the original site, so they want to get it out and remove any possibility of that beastie crawling back in there in the future.

The list of things that can happen as side effects and future possible cancers being created by the radiation was extensive and horrifying. (Don't google it. I'm not kidding. You might not sleep at night.) She will also have some permenant lifestyle changes. For example, the radiation will impact her salivary glands, throat, heart, lungs, thyroid, and breasts. She will have to begin having routine breast exams at 25--and not regular mamograms--she will have MRI breast scans every year from 25 years of age forward. Future thyroid problems are the most common with the location and kind of radiation she will receive, so we will keep a close eye on that.

After this horrifying litany of 'what ifs', the conversation ended with me asking if the benefits clearly outweighed the future risks and the doctor replied soundly, without hesitation, that this is absolutely the course of treatment she would use with her own child and no way would she risk the lymphoma coming back over a possible future thyroid issue. So, we are all in.

The actual radiation doesn't hurt at all, it's the side effects because of the location that are scary and truthfully, a little overwhelming.

The schedule thus far:

• Mapping Ct at UAB with Dr. Keene (radiation oncologist) February 5th when her blood counts are back up. This visit determines the length, strength, and duration of her radiation treatment.
• Begin radiation therapy at UAB every day (out patient--we drive back and forth) five days a week. (this falls in the afternoons meaning that I won't even have to miss teaching. And no more overnights in the hospital unless she gets sick.) 
• Pray some more.
• Re-scan. 
• Determine if the whole show is eradicated or if we need more chemo/radiation. 
• While all of the new stuff is going on, we will continue to have Tuesday clinic days at Children's to monitor blood work, heart, lungs, white count, etc. 

If (and this is a huge if) everything pans out like we are hoping and the stars line up correctly, Elise could actually get cleared to go back to school after Spring Break. We are praying to that end. She'd have the last month of her senior year, the play, etc. It's important, so we are asking everyone to join us praying and thanking God for the outcome.

Love,
Charlotte
and the Fun Bus

#BigEkickingtheBigC
#5shorties
#funbus
#funbusdetour
#gangsterstrong
#andstillirise
#eliseisagangster

Philippians 4:4-8 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God,which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 

Invictus

 

Invictus

William Ernest Henley

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.