Picture Time

We took the kids to get their pictures taken yesterday.  We were a little behind in the picture department.  Julianna got her 3 year pictures, Will got his 1 year pictures and we got a family picture (the picture we had hanging in our living room didn't have Will in it).  Will was not in the mood for pictures and refused to smile.  Julianna however was her usual ham and most of her pictures included a really cheesy smile.  Here's a few of my favorite pictures :o)

1st Birthday Party

Last night was Will's 1st birthday party.  I had wanted a huge celebration for my little heart warrior, but my present state of being made the final decision.  So we had a family affair with grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles & cousins.  It was a monster themed party for our little monster :o)

The birthday boy looked so grown-up!

He had an adorable smash cake thanks to my friend Sarah (owner of Tutu Sweet) and he loved every bite!

It was a wonderful party and I am so thankful for such a healthy little boy!  One year ago we were gearing up for a heart cath and who knew what else and today we have a med-free little guy who has amazed us and his cardiologists.  Happy birthday little man!

Nearly Complete

I am in "nearly complete remission"!!!

What does that mean?  I am technically in remission...its just not 100%.  I had an appointment with Dr H yesterday to go over all my test results and he was very happy with the results.  In December, my bone marrow was mostly cancer with a little bit of normal marrow, now, it is almost all normal marrow with just a little bit of cancer.  The cancer was very responsive to the chemo :o)

Dr H gave Joe and I two options for what to do next.  The first, was to not do anymore chemo treatments and just follow-up every 3 months to keep an eye on the last of the cancer cells.  The second, was to go through 2 more chemo sessions and then have a repeat bone marrow biopsy to see if we could get to 100% remission.  At the end of those chemo sessions I may be in 100% remission or still just nearly complete remission, but at that point I would be DONE with chemo and just do 3 month follow-ups.  We decided to go with 2 more chemo sessions and shoot for 100%!

So, I start another round of chemo on Thursday (wonder if I could get a green beer during chemo?  heehee!).  My LAST round will be April 7-9.  I think I am much more accepting of more chemo knowing I absolutely will be done with just 2 more sessions.  No wait and see how the tests go.  I also feel so relieved knowing how well the cancer responded to the chemo and to know how happy my doctor was with the results.  He also gave me some stronger anti-nausea meds since that has gotten worse with each session.

So during the next 6 weeks we'll be praying for those last few cancer cells to take a hike.  I can't wait to feel good all the time again!

First Steps

This post is about a week over due, but Will has started taking steps!  On February 26, he turned away from the exersaucer at my parents and took a few steps to my mom!  Now he is taking 2 or 3 steps successfully all day long.  Sorry for the bad video quality (all I had was my cell phone & it was dark in the room), but here is Will taking a few steps shortly after his first few.

My Little Cuties!

I haven't posted any pictures for quite awhile...so here's a few of my little cuties :o)



My Last Chemo?

I have started my countdown to another chemo session today...I have my 4th treatment this Thursday, Friday & Saturday.  But this session is different...it's my last scheduled treatment.  That means that after this session I'll have a bunch of tests (probably bone marrow biopsy, MRI & CT) to see if the chemo was successful.  If it was then I'll get to hear the word I have longed to hear since I was diagnosed in December...REMISSION.  I am praying my heart out to hear that I am in remission.

I whole heartedly believe the chemo was successful.  During my one week of feeling good between sessions, I feel amazingly good.  With as bad as I was feeling before my diagnosis, I can't imagine that I am not better.  I have completely quit taking my pain meds because I have NO PAIN anymore.  None.  Considering I was in so much pain in the fall that I couldn't move at all, having no pain now is amazing!

On the kiddo side of things, both are on the up side of colds.  We took them both to the pediatrician last week because they sounded so bad and we were concerned with some crackly breathing from Will, but luckily both just had nasty colds and nothing worse.  I am still surprised that I have a 3 year old and that Will will be 1 in just a month...I really need to get to my party planning!

And Joe has been super Mr Mom...working 2 jobs, taking care of the kids, doing all the housework, and taking care of me.  He's amazing!  I am so lucky to have such a wonderful husband and kids and family!

Bump in the Road

Well, we hit a bump in the road yesterday.  I came to the clinic for some testing to see how well my chemo is working and the CT scan showed I have a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in my right lung).  So I was immediately admitted.  It stinks because I feel great right now and yet here I am sitting in a hospital bed.

I am thankful that they found the PE, since they can actually be fatal if not treated.  But it stinks that I got it.  Dr H says that it isn't an uncommon thing to have happen for chemo patients and that I will need to be on blood thinners for quite a long time to prevent more.  We're waiting for some insurance approval right now.  If our insurance approves a home injection, I can go home soon.  If they don't I will be here for at least 3-5 days on an oral med instead.

As far as results from the tests about how well my chemo is working...we're still waiting on those.  I do know thee CT showed no cancer BUT I don't think the cancer showed up in my CT before either.  I need to get some clarity on that before I start jumping for joy.  Hopefully today will be a multiple post day and I'll have some good news to share later!