Goodbye 2007!

I know it has been a long time since I updated-- the phone calls have started so I decided I would update because everyone wants to know what we have been up to for the past week! Well-- I wish I could say something exciting but we have done nothing but be a normal family of five! That is actually exciting for me!! Grier, Hayes, and Grace are being normal siblings-- fighting and playing-- ( and driving me crazy!!) Jeff has been working since we returned and I have done what I normally do-- pick up after lots of folks, plan upcoming appts., drive a taxi, and referee! I did get to spend time with good friends and family and that is all I really wanted for Christmas... ( besides the Easy button!!)
Jeff, Grier and I will leave for the concrete jungle (NY)-- on Wednesday morning-- We will most likely go directly from LaGuardia to the PDH and get a CBC on Grier and pick up the pre-meds he will need for all the tests that will take place this week! He will have a CT scan on Thursday am??? w/ anesthesia and bone marrows aspirations in 4 spots-- Around 2pm he will be injected with the radioactive dye for the MIBG scan- On Friday, he will have the MIBG scan w/anesthesia -- Both days will be long and hard on Grier-- and Jeff and I will bear the brunt on waiting to see what these tests find or don't find- We have booked a flight home for Friday-- we will get home late but should be home for the weekend!! I am looking forward to seeing Hayes and Grace play basketball-- and actually bringing Grier with us to the games- On Monday, Grier will have another long day of testing but this time it will be at CMC-- he will have a bone scan-- Thanks Dawn for making this happen before the end of the month!!! It is my understanding after these tests are done the Neuroblastoma Team of MSKCC will meet and decide what is the best 3f8 protocol for him-
So.. Just like most of 2007 has been-- this upcoming NY trip will be exhausting-- I am glad to say goodbye to 2007-- It was not the best year for our family but I am sure it will not be the worst-- We did have some good moments and were touched by so many of you that have reached out to our family in different ways-- We have strengthened relationships we already had and made some new friends-- some who have been living with Pediatric Cancer longer than we have-- and of course the nurses and doctors that took care of us on 7T and the clinic for those many months-- It is hard to believe I did not know what NB was last March but now I hear that word multiple times a day-- even on TV-- ( Good Morning America, The Today Show, CNN-- etc.) This is all thanks to a group of parents at Sloan (The Band of Parents) that have joined together to raise money to fund better treatments for NB! The more people realize the seriousness of this type of Cancer-- the more funding for research will help find a cure for the many children who are fighting to beat NB-

2008 will be a year of HOPE for all of us-- With the treatments in NY, we will hopefully see Grier feel better and get back to being a 3 1/2 year old! We will also get to see his hair return-- :) Happy New Year to everyone on Grier's team! Go Grier Go in 2008!