Day 12, Chemo Round 2

All dressed up, sticker purse and all,
with nowhere to go. This room is our
friend today, Ms. ANC = 0!

So, Jade's ANC finally nadired today, or reached zero. This means the chemo succeeded in destroying any leukemic cells and all the good cells that make up her immune system.  During round one, it was a long twenty days before her counts recovered from zero and she was able to come home for a while. Vomiting, diarrhea, and some loss of appetite prompted the insertion of a nasogastric feeding tube, but those were the largest concerns during the first round's recovery -- I'll take those any day over some of the more frightening complications (fever, infection, etc.).  I'm prayerful that recovery this round is just as uneventful.

As we "holed up" in our room today (something about hearing she has no capacity to fight off infection right now makes me less enthusiastic about our walks around the unit or trips to the playroom and art room), I had some time to really reflect on how amazingly blessed we have been. Certainly, this is a rough road we are traveling, but we have been able to be with Jade every day and every step of the way.  There are other families on the unit that are separated from their children by work schedules, by oceans even. But we've been able to be with our girl every day.  We thank God for that and for placing such amazing family, friends and colleagues, newfound friends, and medical professionals who have been there all along -- praying and rooting for Jade and offering us support we didn't even anticipate needing to help make that possible.

The most that I've cooked, like really cooked from "scratch," has been pancakes, turkey bacon, and eggs since Jade was hospitalized. Breakfast food is really all I have time to prepare. Hospital food and fast food were a regular supplement, but we have been blessed with delivered groceries and home-cooked meals prepared by friends (which really came in handy tonight when Lil Jay looked at me at 9:45pm as I'm trying to get him to bed and said, "But I didn't even eat yet, Mommy.")

Keeping Lil Jay engaged during out-of-school time used to be a cinch.  Not so much anymore, but again, family and friends have stepped up tremendously.  A couple of weeks ago, my brother drove down from Boston to drop off his kids, the eldest of whom is 17, to keep Lil Jay company.  He dropped them off on Sunday, headed back to Boston on Monday, and drove back down on Friday to pick them up. He left on Sunday morning, but not before cooking enough food for the week.  Amma and Auntie Shameika literally dropped everything to be here within hours of getting the call that the doctors suspected Jade had leukemia... and have been such a constant presence for both of the children, but especially for Lil Jay - helping facilitate after-school pick-ups, homework completion, etc... Not to mention Jessica, an amazingly generous young woman I met late last year when we were recognized as part of Forty Under 40 young leaders in the county... she teaches culture through creative arts and contacted me just tonight and offering to keep Jade and Lil Jay company and lead them in some fun activities.

I didn't know they boxed fun...
But they do! It comes in care packages.

Never thought I would need to create another safe space, or home away from home, for Jade.  But we have.  We've made our hospital room as homey (sp?) as possible... It's actually more like a playroom, but Jade wouldn't have it any other way.  Dr. Brandi (Shameika's line sister) dropped off a kid's medical kit shortly after Jade's diagnosis so that Jade would become familiar with and less afraid of all the instruments that were being used on her.  Auntie Taniqua and Aisha hand-delivered Jade's first tiara and feather boa. The families from Jade's childcare sent an amazing basket with Tinkerbell Pajamas, books, music, snacks, etc. And Mama Gayle and Nina sent unbelievable care packages that... well, suffice it to say that Jade's sticker collection now puts to shame the Art Room resources!

Yes, Lil Jay. You are
super in your "new" jacket.

So many other acts of generosity and compassion to help us keep all the balls as we still come to terms with a disease that is so unpredictable, juggle reduced-work schedules, and care for Jade and Jaytoe -- and somewhere in there our marriage. Dr. Brandi's mom coming to sit with an anxious me during one of Jade's first spinal taps when Dad had to work. Your willing ears for my tearful calls.  Your constant prayers, words of encouragement, facebook messages. Gas cards, teas, hand-me downs for Lil Jay so we don't have to worry about a spring/summer wardrobe for our growing boy, the list goes on.

We love you all and thank God for placing you in Jade's life... in our lives. Jade will beat this.