June 30

Madelyn had a CBC (complete blood count) and a doctor's visit on Tuesday.  And she is just awesome.   Normal hematacrit, normal platelets and white blood cells are on the rise.  Her ANC is 1200!  Awesome for getting on an airplane... tomorrow!  


I can't believe the trip is here.  I am excited to spend a few weeks with my family with no agenda's, no timelines. I guess I should get home and pack.  All we need though is passports, medicine and each other.  If we forget anything else, well, we can get it there.


She is responding well so far to the new chemo regiment.  The first day after her oral methotrexate she was very cranky.  The second time, she was fine.  The 6MP chemo we give her every night (and will every night for the next two years) hasn't given her any troubles either.  


She has been bursting with energy.  While in Seattle Tuesday, she had a swimming lesson, she had her toes and nails painted and we went out to dinner with my friend Shelly.  It's amazing that we will be giving up the apartment in two months.  When we signed that lease back in November, 9 months seemed a long way down a very hard long, path.  Reaching the end didn't seem possible.  But here we are.  Starting around September we will only need to be at the hospital once a month!


Peter and I even took a few days to ourselves - two nights, three days in Victoria, BC.  This is the place we met in photography school and will always be a special place for us.  We rode our bikes on the Lockside Trail from Sidney, BC to Victoria.  It felt so good to move.  I feel like I have been sitting in vigil for the last six months.  I loved being totally exhausted from exercise.  It was especially nice to sit at the bar with my husband and have a long, leisurely three hour dinner - WITH scotch and prosecco for dessert.


I'm bringing the camera (well of course) and computer to Europe... so I hope to upload some images from the road...  more soon...