August 1st

We are back State side!  We have been for about a week and half, but I am just now getting organized... well, sort of.  

It took the girls about three days to adjust to the time zone.  Then we headed down to Seattle on July 25th for her monthly infusion of Vincristine and check up.  Her counts were good, very good and she was looking and feeling wonderful.

Hem 39.8    Plat 265    WBC 2.9    ANC 1572

Her ANC is a bit high and if continues to go up they will increase her weekly dose of Methotrexate.  She has this on Mondays so Tuesdays she generally feels a bit "yucky."  For the next 1.5 years they are going to keep her immune system depressed so that the Leukemia has no place to live.  They want her ANC to be between 750-1500.

Did you notice, I said 1.5 years, not 2 years?  We thought it was 2 years of Long Term Maintenance starting at the end of Delayed Intensification.  HOWEVER!  It is actually 2 years starting at the beginning of Interim Maintenance.  So her chemotherapy with stop six months earlier than we thought.  She'll be done the first of Feb 2013.

After her infusion she went to a swimming lesson... still bursting with energy.  Then we headed to the apartment and I began packing!  We brought a small load home with us.  The end of this month we pack up and leave the apartment.  Hopefully, for good.  Our lease ends on August 31st.  For a few months we'll have CBCs every two weeks (which we can do as a day trip) and on her monthly infusion days we'll spend the night with my sister who lives in Kirkland.

This week, MJ has been feeling a little crummy.  The Vincristine has given her pains (legs, jaw) and the Dexamethazone (steroids for five days every month) gives her heart burn, crankiness, lower energy and big mood swings.  

She did go to summer school on Wednesday and part of the day on Thursday though!  She was so excited that she had her back pack on one hour before we left for school.  Which meant Sophia had hers on for an hour as well.

I have a ton of pictures from Switzerland.  It's a little overwhelming choosing what to show you all, but I thought I would at least start with her visit to the pediatric hospital in Zurich...

Having a mini-dance party in the middle of Zurich.  We are waiting for the tram to take us to the hospital.  She has her Emla cream on her port...

  

Being goofy... still waiting for the tram.  We have our bags with us because immediately following the doctor's appointment we jumped on the train to the French part of Switzerland.  We rented an apartment for a week near Sion, in a town called Nendaz.

As usual, she is a little nervous and scared while accessing.

Much happier with the needle out.  Here she is being examined by the doctor.

Happy and contemplative after her appointment is all finished.  Back on the tram heading to the train station.

Pillow fight on the train to Sion.

At the end of one of our hikes in Nendaz.

MJ riding in Grandpa's backpack at the end of the hike.  Sophia and MJ were both tired of walking...

Bungy trampoline.  

She says that next trip to Switzerland she wants to do paragliding... she saw a lot of people doing it in Nendaz.  She is so fearless.

Any trip with kids involves plenty of these ... lots of empty milk and alcohol bottles in the recycling...

There is a reason our strollers end up completely trashed...

Cousin Tierry.... more family pictures to come...