WOO HOO!! Friday was an exciting milestone - no more treatments!!  In true children form, they came down to Northfield and surprised us with balloons and streamers and party horns!  The first picture below shows John coming out of treatment and seeing the line of the kids, including Jess on Facetime!, all hooting and hollering for him!  Even one of the patients we met during treatment came by to wish John well on his last day!  Being such a small facility, we saw the same people EVERY day as we were all on a consistent schedule so we actually got to know a few people and make a few new friends.  The nurses asked if they could have a few of the streamers and horns to have some fanfare when one of the guys we had met came out as he didn't have anyone with him to celebrate his last day.  We were back meeting with the doctor when he finished but we heard the bell ring and the horns going off so it was nice we could help someone else celebrate!!!  Friday evening we had a little impromptu gathering at the house with all the kids, Allison, Renee, Gus, Cerny and mom (and Pepito!) to continue to celebrate.  

John's been such a trooper through all of this - I can't even believe it!  He's got about another 7-10 days of building up of side effects before he turns the corner to feeling better but at least there's no more getting up early and driving two hours every day.  He'd lost a bit more weight but has been maintaining it this past week so that's good.  He's working so hard to eat and get the calories he needs.  Our main focus now is his neck - there is a pretty large area where it is burned and it is pretty raw and blistered - but we've got all the 'stuff' we need and I've got copious notes on what to do for it!!

We got out on Saturday and got some fresh air which was great for both of us - John was pretty tired after the events of the two days but it felt good to do some normal things.

I have been working partial days through most of this and tomorrow I get back on a plane and head to Chicago for a quick 36 hours - it will be nice to do something "normal" workwise and get back in the saddle.  We've got appointments on Thursday and then I am on vacation through next Wednesday -- I will be heading to Iowa for the annual work softball tourney with all the kids (and Cerny!) and then next week our dear friends Tom and Nancy will be here for a few days for a much needed visit.  Then the plan is for me to get back to work as normal; John will continue to be home recovering for awhile yet; a few sporadic dr. appointments, physical therapy and then a marathon in Rochester - but not until late August so a nice reprieve from major doctoring for about a month!  In about three months he will go in for a PET scan to check and confirm the cancer is GONE and then he'll have those fairly regularly for a year and then annually after that.  All indications thus far are positive, so we hang on to that each and every day!

The updates will probably become less frequent, but please continue to check in and leave a note - we both enjoy reading them and they do brighten John's day!  

From the very bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU to each of you for your continued support, prayers, good thoughts, love, visits, food, lawn mowing, breaks for me, etc. etc. - it isn't just a cliche' that it takes a village - it truly does - I've seen it in action before and have seen it here again.  I just can't imagine how we would have gotten through this without you.  Again, the deepest gratitude to each and every one of you.  ((HUGS)) to you all.

John and Mel