Kicking cancer's BUTT

Sorry if this sounds a little crass. I read recently that an especially spirited A.L.L. family made a slogan out of this phrase and used it to celebrate every milestone along their child's journey (which recently ended with a ritualistic tossing of leftover meds into a lake, witnessed by close family and friends who were all wearing T-shirts that say "I kicked cancer's BUTT," or, "I helped my sister/cousin/friend kick cancer's BUTT.") Fantastic.

We are having one of those days. Dayssi's labs this morning showed that her counts have already recovered. She does not need any blood transfusion today and her ANC is 1200, which is within the normal range. She has been tired and is sleeping a little extra, so I know her body is still feeling the effects of all of that chemo. But her blood is in good shape.

Next Tuesday, on Halloween, Dayssi will start what should be the final phase of her treatment. It is called Long Term Maintenance. She'll have a lumbar puncture to inject some methotrexate, five days of steroids, plus one nightly and one weekly pill. This cycle will repeat every three months until, barring a relapse or some other significant complication, July 2008, at which point she will be Off Therapy. Then we watch and wait for another two years, and if there is no relapse, she will be considered "cured."

Dayssi is a little butt kicker. But you already knew that.