Out of 3 daughters Mimi is our middle child, older sister Iza by 3 minutes and a younger sister Magi by 3 years. Mimi was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) on August 12, 2009. After 2 years, 2 months and 26 days on November 6th, 2011 she took her last chemo pill and is considered OFF Treatment! This is our story of our journey through childhood cancer.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Officially OFF Treatment.



2 years, 2 months, 26 days






over 40 days inpatient




over 75 Clinic visits




Bone Marrow biopsies and aspirations



Lumbar Punctures



Blood and Platelet transfusions



Numerous Xrays



Multiple CT scans



MRIs



Just one Nuclear Bone Scan



One portacath





A very long List of Medications






She did it! We did it! I remember over two years ago looking at 4 and a half year old Mimi laying in a huge hospital bed as she was sleeping and crying thinking that she will have to fight until she is almost 7! It seemed like a life time away. There were definitely scary days that felt like the clock never moved and daylight was not coming fast enough. We enjoyed every good day, and made a bad day better. The second counts were just over the "good enough" mark we were out the door doing something and making every moment count. We are done with treatment but we are a part of a club, a club we didn't ask to join. It changed our lives not for good or bad, just changed.






Tonight I was putting the girls to bed and Mimi asked

"Is tonight is really the last night I will give her a pill?"

I said "Yes."

"So that means tomorrow I can have a LARGE glass of milk RIGHT before I go to bed?!"

She has been unable to have milk at least 2-3 hours before she has her nightly chemo and that has been the hardest thing for her. Not the giant needles in her chest or the crazy steroid days... go figure! As I was walking out the room Iza looked at me with sad eyes and said "Does that mean tonight I am done being a SuperSib?" I assured her She will ALWAYS be a SuperSib! Everyone went to bed happy.







Q&A




Is Mimi's cancer gone? Short answer YES, It has been gone and the last two years we have been doing a lot to keep it from coming back! Mimi went in to remission, meaning there was no longer evidence of cancer cells in her body, soon after we started treatment. To keep it that way she continued with a long maintenance treatment to keep the cancer from returning. This included, daily chemo at home, monthly IV chemo, and chemo administered into her spinal fluid to decrease the chance that leukemia invades her central nervous system.



What now? Starting November 9th Mimi will be going for monthly blood draws to make sure her blood counts are what they should be and that there is no evidence of cancer cells. Later on they will be bi-monthly until eventually once a year for the rest of her life. Along with other routine check ups such as Echo cardiograms, to check her her heart for possible damage caused by chemo.


Sometime soon we will also have a date to remove her portacath which will be another huge milestone!


Also she will be closely watched for any late effects due to the intensive chemotherapy she received over the last two years.



Thank you for being part of our little army whether it was for 5 minutes of the last 2 years, 2 months, 26 days or the whole ride. Thank you for all the shoulders I got to cry on, for taking the Iza and Magi for fun days restoring "normal", for the coffee and tea deliveries to the hospital, for dropping what you were doing because it was a good count day and friends needed to play, for understanding things needed to get cancelled due to low counts, for understanding and for trying to understand... I can go on forever. I am blessed to have met so many people and I hope to continue keeping our little army going as we keep Leukemia AWAY...

3 comments:

  1. Wahoo! Moving over on the OT couch for you!!!! Congrats!

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  2. Thank You Ann!!! OT Couch here we go! :)

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  3. SOOOO AMAZING!!! HOORAY FOR YOU ALL!!!! :)
    You are an incredible family!!!

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