Ana Cristina's Place

"Happiness is not a destination. It is a method of life."
- Burton Hills


On February 28, 2005 Ana Cristina was diagnosed with pre-b cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia with cns involvement. She is in remission after induction on COG-AALL0232 (arm II) and continues to receive treatment according to total therapy XV. She's a happy, active and inquisitive 4 year old who loves to dance, sing and smile!


Ana Cristina is a daughter of the King.
Victory is assured.

Journal

Friday, December 9, 2005

I cannot believe I have been so slack as to have not updated this page in two months!! We have been so incredibly busy I feel like this is my first moment to catch my breath!

Since I wrote last, Ana Cristina has finished intensive consolidation, finished reinduction #2, and is now on the verge of starting her maintenance phase! She actually should have begun this past Tuesday, but her ANC was a bit too low so we're on hold for a week. My girl has put all the shot stickers onto her achievement chart. No more pegaspargase needle pokes for her (hopefully) forever. I am so proud of her! One particular sticker stands out a great deal and it would be the one of the Dutch flag placed to shot #15. As some of you know, and some of you don't, Cristian and I have been talking about moving for several months. With his work, we assumed we'd return to Brazil. Apparently the "higher ups" had different things in mind though and withough much warning proposed the idea of him working with their collegues in the Netherlands. As much as I would have enjoyed this sort of world-wind trip under normal circumstances, I was a nervous wreck from the time I heard about it until the day we got back and I realized that Ana Cristina really was okay. After the okay from her oncologist, we all went together and arranged for her to have her 15th double peg shots and weekly bloodwork done at the University Hospital of Amsterdam. She was actually due for triple intrathecal therapy that week, but we were able to delay it one week so that could be done with our regular team at Hopkins. We were only actually gone ten days, but with all the planning it seemed like more. Then just a week after getting back, Ana Cristina and I relocated temporarily to Baltimore for her to begin reinduction #2. We were there from November 7th to the 30th and very much glad to now be back home in our own beds!

As much as I'd like to write more about our trip and Ana Cristina's stellar preformance in reinduction #2, I am having a hard time thinking straight these days as little Alexia is weighing so heavily on my mind. Please keep our little friend in your prayers. Although we've never met in person, Alexia has very special place in my heart. As her mommy and daddy write on her website... she is "fighting like hell." Pray that she will continue until she's 100% better and home playing with her baby sister where she belongs!

more later,
Alicia

Hospital Information:

Johns Hopkins Hospital
Children's Center - Pediatric Oncology Outpatient Clinic
600 North Wolfe Street
Baltimore, Maryland




Ana Cristina says that's her in the front on the right.

"Dancing Queen" by ABBA

Links:

E-mail Author: peregrinezz@gmail.com