Back in School

What joy for all three of us to be back in school together today!! Christi wore her hat with hair attached; however, I learned she took it off and on throughout the day. She immediately told me after school that one kid made fun of her at recess for being bald, but then she giggled and said, "Only one! There are a lot of kids on the playground." (Not too bad, I guess!)

She continues to feel very well and we're grateful for that. I'm also grateful that Dr. Maris decided to "tank up her platelets" before we left so that we don't even need to have her blood counts checked this week. Ahhhh!

Tonight I just paid for our return plane tickets (Tuesday, after school, March 21st).

My conversation with Dr. Maris yesterday was the shortest ever. He told me it was a dramatic response. Of course, I was thrilled - but started to pick out little things I noticed until he soon said, "90% of the stuff is gone," which hushed me immediately! I thought the MIBG scan looked much improved; however, I did point out a new spot. (I think on her liver.) Dr. Maris left to check the scan again and came back and told me it's too low to be the liver or adreanal gland, or a rib but it is lighting up in one bright spot. Therefore, they'll do a full abdomen CT scan and find out where it is and if it is neuroblastoma before starting the chemo. (Nurse Practitioner Pat Brophy called me tonight to tell me it's set for 8:30 AM on Wednesday, March 22nd.)

We celebrate this tremendous news; yet, we know it's a long way from gone. Spots remain in her: skull, ribs and legs. We also know how things can change on a dime; however, for now we celebrate!! Dr. Maris's plan is to do two more very hard rounds of high dose chemo (TVD starting March 22nd) and then to switch to a clinical trial for minimial residual disease if she continues to respond. We hope to get her there with two more rounds of chemo; yet, we fully realize that she's had great intial
responses in the past; they just don't last.

Thanks for lifting her up in prayer! We've been richly blessed!