So the initial bone marrow test was negative, 0% leukemia cells out of 100. The more in-depth look (MRD-they look at 10,000 cells) is still in the works in Seattle. We made another trip to Denver today to the clinic for the first round of chemo on block 2. It's another 29 day block with a bone marrow test and another MRD at the end. They compare the two MRDs and decide if chemo is working or if we need to go the bone marrow route. Block 2, as Mark mentioned yesterday, has another 5 day hospital stay in it, followed by a week of 4-5 hour days in the clinic. Then we get a week off in terms of chemo. Her ANC will be really low by then so we may end up in the hospital again if she gets a fever. We also took a peek at the chemo roadmap for the next 6 months. Block 3 is even more intense than block 2 in terms of hospital stays and types of chemo they give. Obviously, we want to follow the doctors' recommendations since she is a special case, but it's a lot of chemo. It was a long road last time too but it seems like we have more on our plates now with older kids, a whole life to pack up in Japan, and a this sudden u-turn in our life journey. I was talking to a wise friend today who reminded me that gratitude keeps us afloat. It keeps us from sinking into hopelessness. There is always something to by grateful for. Yes there is a lot of pain in our journey right now, a lot of loss to grieve and a lot of hard things ahead. There is also a lot to be grateful for. It's Christmas and we have a God who loves us beyond what we can wrap our minds around. He shows us how much he loves us by giving us daily gifts. Leaves with frost on them on a morning walk that reminded me the beauty is all around. People caring for us at the clinic, at home, at church so that we don't have to shoulder this heavy load alone. Cards, emails, texts, gift cards, words of comfort... we are so grateful for the knowledge that we are not alone during this trial.
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