It’s been a long time since we posted!! We have been so busy getting ready for Christmas and keeping up with Mercedes’ treatment schedule. 

She has been doing well! There are definitely days where she gets tired and need to have a “rest day” as she calls it but she has been holding strong. 

September and October were rough. Mercedes was in the Delayed Intensification phase of treatment and just like the name says it was intense. Now, she is almost at the end of this cycle called Interim Maintenance 2. It hasn’t been too rough on her but we have had many trips to MSK. During this cycle she had 2 rounds of RCP. This chemo is given as a intramuscular shot in her thigh. She calls it her “leg shot”.  For each round we have to come to MSK for 6 “leg shots”, following a Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule. It has been intense but Mercedes tries her best to be brave. She doesn’t like the shots (the needles are really long 😞) but she does her best to take deep breaths and be strong. 

In the new year we will be starting Maintenance cycles. Maintenance cycles include less intense chemotherapy and less trips to the hospital. Each cycle of Maintenance is 12 weeks long and we will continue to repeat these cycles until June 2023! The purpose of these cycles is to maintain levels and kill any remaining cancer cells. 

We are looking forward to a new year and all the adventures it brings!