FAQs

Hello! Sammy has been feeling much better lately so she's been getting out more. As we bump into people, we have run into some common questions. So here are some answers:


When will Sammy get her new leg?
We're not sure. Sammy still has an open area on her incision site for which she is taking antibiotics. With ongoing chemotherapy, it takes longer for a wound to heal. It could be a few weeks or a few months, but Sammy's prothetist is ready to go as soon as Sammy's leg is ready.

Has Sammy been in touch with Make A Wish?
Yes. Sammy's wish is to walk the red carpet at the Teen Choice Awards. We are still not sure whether this wish will be granted. Make a Wish considers this to be a "celebrity" wish that can take up to 2 years to grant.

When will Sammy be back at school?
Sammy has been back to school a few times since her leg amputation. Because of pain issues, it's been hard to get back into a routine. Sammy has been working with her tutor, Mrs. Spangler, and wants to get back to school. So, for now, Shari will get Sammy to school as much as Sammy can tolerate, and Mrs. Spangler will continue to help out as needed. We really just take it day by day.

What's going on with the lungs?
There are metastatic nodules in both lungs. The nodules are VERY small and do not appear to be growing. There's no way to determine whether they are completely dead, however, without taking them all out and examining them. So, they've got to come out. We still haven't met with the surgeons yet. Sammy is going to have another chest CT after her next round of chemo (scheduled for this Friday). We'll meet with the surgeons after they review the new films. We're not sure whether both lungs will be operated on at the same time. The surgery will not be pleasant and Sammy will be in the hospital for approximately one week.

Will chemo be over once the lung nodules are out?
No. This whole cancer treatment thing is really not an exact science. Even though Sammy has been going through chemo since July, the type of medicine has changed a couple of times because, initially, it didn't seem to be all that effective. The chemo that Sammy has been taking since December-ish has been the best one for her. So it's sort of like she started chemo in December, not July... Dr. Chaffee, Sammy's oncologist, will base her decision on how to proceed after the lung nodules are examined. We were thrilled to learn of the 95% necrosis of the leg tumor. We are hopeful that the lung nodules will also have good test results.

Is Sammy's hair going to fall out again?
Hopefully not. While a few strands here and there show up on her pillow, her hair has been growing back and she is loving it! Dr. Chaffee assures us at there is NO correlation between the effectiveness of chemo and hair loss. Yeah!!!

What can we do to help?
Your continued good wishes and prayers are all that we need. We also appreciate all the meals, cards, and posts on the blog.


That just about covers it. If anyone has a question that they are too embarrassed to ask, feel free to submit it anonymously on the blog. It's apparent that Sammy's friends and those who know what's going on are the ones who feel most comfortable with Sammy. So we are always happy to share information. As always, thank you so much for checking in.

Shari and David