Fantastic News!

Ben's hemoglobin had dropped again so he received a transfusion yesterday. His platelets are going up and his white blood count was pretty similar to last Friday. The fantastic news is that the Maintenance Phase is going to start next week if all goes as planned!!!

Ben is scheduled for a blood check next Wednesday and if his numbers are where they need to be Maintenance will start on Thursday. The first day involves a spinal tap and vincristine via his PICC line - the current plan is to pull out the PICC after the procedure and chemo has been administered. He will also be starting the oral medications at home.

Ben wasn't really listening yesterday when his nurse came in to explain everything and give me the roadmap for the next phase (he was distracted by the Fun Center). It was very funny this morning when he asked me when we need to leave for the hospital. I told him we don't have to go to the hospital today and are not scheduled to go again until next Wednesday. His jaw just about dropped on the floor. He couldn't believe it and was so happy and excited! The doctor said that he gets to go to school tomorrow for the last day before Winter Break so we went out today so that he could pick out presents for his teachers. He cannot wait for tomorrow morning. (He says that he wants to shave his head again tonight so that his head is very smooth and nice for school tomorrow!)

Ben said that the only sad thing is that we won't get to see all the wonderful people at the hospital as much. I told him that he will see his doctor and favorite nurse when we go in but hopefully will not need trips to the Infusion Center but we can always poke our head in and say hello. The people at Cedars have been so amazing throughout this entire process. I really don't know how we would have gotten through it without them.

I have been walking around on cloud 9 today. This has been such a roller coaster ride now for eight months. I am looking forward to getting some normalcy back in our lives!