So many plans, so little time...
Well, we really meant to send out holiday cards, and to visit our family in New York and New Jersey, and to declutter the house, and to do many other amazing things... alas, the holidays and reality got in the way! Cards to come, holiday they celebrate TBD!
Most importantly, Neve continues to feel GREAT! This in and of itself tends to take the pressure off many other things and in our house, lulls us into a sense of relaxation and normalcy...so we have been enjoying that. Neve had another uneventful month- she went for her first lumbar puncture (LP) since starting Disneyland (aka long term maintenance, for the uniformed) on Monday, December 29 - which included intrathecal methotrexate, and a trip to clinic for vincristine and a general check up. Neve has continued to have positive lab results- and impressively (at least to me) is maintaining her reds and not needing transfusions! Still important for all to give blood who can do so when they can... Neve will return to the clinic at the end of January for her next check up.
We ended up cancelling our holiday trip to NY and NJ since we managed to align our plans almost perfectly with a path of winter snow, sleet and ice - so we opted for no weather-related travel. Once the decision was made we had more time for R+R in Maine.
Neve and Finn had a great Christmas- Finn was an altar server at Christmas Eve mass, and Neve was tired and fit in a nap during mass. We also enjoyed a cookie making party with friends in Portland, and witnessed the not-so-happy demise of the Jets (moment of silence)...
We hosted Grandma Cawley and Aunt Eileen for New Year's Eve- and had a surprise New Year's Day visit from Christian and Kaitlin.
All told, life seems to go on, feeling more and more normal by the day. We still keep our hackles up, lest illness, infection or some other problem arise, but overall we are feeling good about where Neve is today. She continues to be great about taking her daily chemo- 6MP, her weekly 3 day pulse of bactrim, her weekly oral methotrexate, and her monthly 5-day pulse of steroids. We did end up with another trip to Build-a-Bear (steroid related) this month, but all told, very manageable.
Finn turns 9 (nine!) tomorrow- I don't know how that is possible, but the calendar appears to not lie.
We stop here and ask a special prayer for our friend Catie O'Brien- Catie is seven years old and her mom went to highschool with me (Christine Closkey O'Brien- highschool friend of Gretchen). Catie was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer- ATRT (Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumor) following surgery last June. She was treated at St. Jude for several months, and returned home in December 2008 after the tumor was found not responsive to the aggressive chemotherapy. More about Catie and her family can be read at www.catiesstory.com . Her family is currently praying for a miracle and preparing for a Make-a-Wish trip to Lourdes, France.
All the best to you and your families for a happy, healthy and joyful 2009. We will keep you apprised of Neve's treatment progress and we appreciate your continued support and prayers - this keeps us going- more than you can know. We hope and pray for many BORING updates from us in 2009 as we march toward the end of December 2009, and hopefully the end of treatment for Neve.
Happy New Year!
