Day 20, Chemo Round 1 :: Family Ties

Wagon ride and camping out for the Treat Cart.

 Please excuse the gushing that follows.  I miss my sister. The kids miss their Auntie.

Auntie Shameika, my twin sister, has always been amazing. But as we've grown older, she has kept  pushing the upper limits on just how awesome a sister/friend/aunt can be. This is the same sister who told me, "Hold on! I'm coming," when we called to let her know I had gone into labor with my first child ten years ago.  She quite literally hopped on the first bus out of New York so that she could meet her nephew. The next day, not wanting to infringe on our first morning as new parents, she declined our offer to pick her up and instead walked two miles from our home to the hospital in 90+ degree weather to visit with us and her nephew. She was a sight to behold. 

She has been even more present and supportive throughout Jade's first course of treatment and now as she starts on her second course of treatment for leukemia. She is my shoulder to cry on, my ear without judgement, my advisor without pressure.  When I decided to have a small birthday celebration for Jade at home before she was admitted to the hospital, her response to whether she would be able to make it down from New York with just two days notice: "Is the sky up?" She showed up with hand-made cards, well wishes, and toys from some of her colleagues and their children.

The following week, she made the trip back down to help with getting Little Jay to and from school and to the hospital to see his sister. She actually "loved the excitement of the morning bus rush." When my car broke down, she left hers here for me to use and took a train back to New York.

Then, when my oven started acting strangely, did she travel from NY with a spare toaster oven in her lap on the bus (because her car was in DC with me)? Yes, she did. And, yes. Another sight to behold.

For Little Jay's entire spring break, she kept him engaged and staved off any disappointment of the postponement of Jade's Make-A-Wish trip to Disney, which had been scheduled for last week. She kept him busy with trips to Toys "R" Us, Barnes & Noble, the International Spy Museum, the National Harbor, Chick-Fil-A, rock wall climbing, Port Discovery, and a speedboat tour of Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Each afternoon ended with a visit to the hospital, where we could all enjoy each other and share a dance, a laugh, a movie, a meal, and some homemade goodie that Auntie brought.

A bashful Jade holding her
Easter basket. 

On Easter Sunday, she swapped places with me so that I could take Little Jay to celebrate Easter with our church family. She graciously took Jade -- in her medical mask and Easter dress -- to Mass here in the hospital's chapel.  Upon returning to her room after Mass, an Easter basket was delivered. Jade remarked, "I was dreaming of this." Sweet, sweet girl.

Thank you, Shameika.  Thank you, everyone, for your continued prayers, words of encouragement, and acts of generosity.  

Today's Counts
Hemoglobin: 8.6 (down slightly from 9.1)
Platelets: 87 (up from yesterday's measly 4 -- thanks to a midnight transfusion)
ANC: 0
Monocytes: 0