Paula Rogers

I’ve really struggled to post updates lately. I have a million thoughts in my head, and honestly, I think part of that is because we’ve officially hit the one-year mark this month. And it’s also Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. A year ago, our entire world changed. I have so much to say. So many things I see differently now. So many thoughts and emotions that are hard to put into words. So maybe one day you’ll just see an overload of posts from me. But for today, I thought I’d share what a normal day looks like for Kelly right now. WEDNESDAY: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF KELLY 8:45/9 AM — WAKE UP Breakfast, cath, shoes, braces, getting everything packed and ready… All while trying to accomplish the ultimate morning goal: Keep Kelly happy, avoid a meltdown, and get to radiation ON TIME. One little tip that might help another radiation family: Kelly wears her pajamas to radiation and changes there. It’s one less outfit to worry about in the morning, one less thing that could go wrong, and one less battle that could make us late. And she actually loves the “outfit change” appearance. The mornings can be HARD. 9:45 AM — LEAVE FOR ORLANDO HEALTH Orlando Health offers free valet parking, which has been such a huge help for us. We park, walk through the metal detector, check in, and then Kelly scans her card for radiation. 10:20 AM — RADIATION ONCOLOGY Everything was going well… until it wasn’t. I needed to show the radiologist a picture of the some bad bruising on Kelly’s back, and she absolutely did NOT want me showing him. And that’s when Kelly reminded everyone at the adult hospital that, yes, we have a very brave 5-year-old in the building… but she is still a 5-year-old. ❤️ Our child life specialist reminded her that she had an art project waiting for her after the scan, which finally got her off the floor. These meltdowns are some of the most mentally draining moments for me. This isn’t my normal, happy-go-lucky Kelly. Once it starts, she just can’t stop it. And every time it happens, I’m reminded of the steroids, the medications, the countless treatments, and just how much this little girl’s body and brain have been through. It’s hard. 10:40 AM — RADIATION We were running a little behind, but somehow Kelly pulled herself together and went back for radiation like the absolute rockstar she is. She gets undressed and I help her onto the table. Then I have to leave the room. Her hands go above her head, her legs go out, and she lies completely still on her mold. They take multiple X-rays to make sure everything is lined up perfectly. Then the radiation team leaves the room, closes the door, and starts the beams. Kelly has three proton beams. They talk to her through a microphone during treatment and put funny pictures up on a computer screen across the room to make her laugh. Let’s just say… Kelly has definitely made her mark on that radiation team. ❤️ 11:35 AM — OUT THE DOOR Radiation done. And just like that, we were back outside waiting for the car and in good spirits again. Because that’s Kelly. ORLANDO HEALTH → NEMOURS The drive is roughly 30–40 minutes depending on traffic. Our condo is basically right in the middle, but I was worried that if we stopped there, I’d have a hard time convincing her to get back in the car and leave again. So instead… 12:00-ish — PUBLIX PIT STOP We grabbed some lunch and kept moving. Sometimes you just have to work with the day you’re given. 1:00 PM — NEMOURS We checked in, headed to the 5th floor, and of course saw people along the way that Kelly had to stop and say hello to. ❤️ Bathroom break to cath. Braces tightened up. And then… 1:45 PM — PHYSICAL THERAPY Kelly headed back for PT while Gigi and I ate our lunch in the waiting room. She did SO well today, working on balance and mobility. Her therapist said she was doing so well that they even had her walking backwards while working through some of the exercises. Watching her work so hard to get her strength and mobility back is something I will never take for granted. 2:35 PM — HELLOS We ran into the one and only school volunteer who was able to get Kelly to actually do schoolwork back in November. She’s now an intern with Child Life, so it was such a fun surprise to see her! Of course, Kelly will NEVER forget that one time she let her color in her tattoo. We also got to see Donkey from Child Life for a minute before making our way down to the 4th floor for a quick hello to CLS Jamie. We love them ! 3:15 PM — BACK TO THE CONDO We made it back just in time to take Moose out before a bad thunderstorm rolled in. Then we called back home to FaceTime sisters for a while. We actually had tickets to go watch a college volleyball game—something I was selfishly really wanting to go to. We talked about it for a minute, but then the zipper on Kelly’s dress broke, and we were quickly reminded that it had been a very long day. And this is something I’m learning: Cancer has its own time zone. The days go fast but slow. The weeks are long but somehow add up quickly. Then you blink, and it’s time for dinner, a shower, and bedtime. Kelly definitely has fatigue from radiation, even though she doesn’t like to admit it. A lot of the meltdowns are a result of that fatigue. So much of our day is mentally focused on the next step. I always tell her what the day is going to look like because surprises are NOT her thing. We find something to focus on and look for joy along the way. Aka: distraction is key! Radiation ✔️ PT ✔️ Appointments ✔️ Meltdowns ✔️ Lots of hellos ✔️ A little lunch ✔️ Moose ✔️ And somehow, we made it through another day. And that’s what life looks like right now. It’s appointments, treatments, cathing, braces, therapy, driving and waiting rooms… But it’s also art projects, funny pictures, Publix lunches, coloring tattoos, hugs in hospital hallways, volleyball games we may or may not make it to, thunderstorms, phone calls home, and the people who have become such a huge part of Kelly’s world. It’s hard. It’s exhausting. It’s not always pretty. But it’s our life right now. And through all of it, Kelly keeps showing us what brave really looks like. ️ And while I’m juggling everything here in Orlando, life continues two hours away, too. Dani Dot has her own schedule, emotions, activities, and needs. There are still school things, appointments, plans, and a million other details to manage. I’m so thankful I married my best friend. My husband and I navigate it all together—constantly adjusting, figuring out what everyone needs, and supporting each other through all of it. It isn’t always easy. It’s not always pretty. But we are a team and we get it done! And I’m so grateful we get to do this life together. ❤️ Kelly Strong: Fighting Rare Childhood Cancer