Maintenance required....

I have been anxiously waiting for an email with our plan from NYC... the clinic here did not hear anything so we were in limbo this week-- The maintenance required light came on in my car... and I have been staring at it--- because I know "maintenance IS required"- I am not talking about the car but Grier!! That light is just another reminder... It is scan time... and time to switch gears and head to NYC.


Last May when I got the news there was a new spot on Grier's hip, a wise friend told me to think of the relapse as a "pit stop"... so we did... and this has been a LONG pit stop... I thought we would have a new direction after we got the NED status in October~ but instead we did more low-dose chemo for 3 weeks.. every 21 days. Other than going to the clinic for 15 days for a few hours each time it was not that bad in terms of other treatment Grier has had to have.  He still was able to go to school, play sports, and be a semi-normal 6 year old.  I was able to juggle all those appointments, raise some $$ for better treatments options for children ... carpool, pay bills, manage a house of 5, manage the holidays and be a semi-normal mom~well--not really!!  We will soon find out if the low-dose chemo kept the NB cells away -- scans have been scheduled in NYC.  It is THAT time again... You would think after almost fours years of dealing with THAT time I would be a pro at it-- and in some regards I am -- so is Grier!  The last two days I have been cleaning and organizing... probably nervous energy... or maybe a "nesting" instinct-- but I tend to make changes and throw out stuff right before and after scans... funny.. I know-- I guess there could be worse things to do--! Grier and I will fly up to NYC on the 19th... and come home on the 21st-- Hoping corporate angel  has a flight for us-- just to have an easier time traveling~ you know we don't want to be exposed to radiation from airport scanners!!! ~sorry.. I could not resist!!! We are scheduled to be up there the same time as another friend of ours that has NB--- Adam and Grier have been 3F8 roomies... always nice to see a familiar face in hospital!  Julie and I can have scanxiety together while the boys play in the playroom!! What a twisted world I live in NOW!!!  I really wanted to go next week but the hospital is FULL-- hmm.. who knew pediatric cancer was such a booming business!!! Actually I have not ever seen the clinic NOT full!  14 days at home will be plenty of time for me to mentally prepare for the trip... I swear Grier must have an internal clock that tells him it is time for NYC again... he started asking a few days ago when it was time to go to NYC again? 


some normal stuff--
Grier was very excited to go back to school... he asked over and over if he was going to be in the same class again... a pretty good question considering he has taken LONG breaks before and ended up in different classes. There was a possibility of another round of low-dose chemo this week--- turns out we got the week off-- He can get back to a routine of school....golf... and today he had his first swim lesson! I have been trying to fit swim lessons in our schedule for a LONG time... and today just seemed like the perfect day... :) 


2010 ended nicely for the 5 of us... I would include Tucker, our golden in the total but his "counter surfing" gave him a tummy ache after he ate a stick of butter...  we need to teach him to use a "pink bucket!!" There is never a dull moment around here!