This will be a short update, to be filed under “no news is good news.”  Alexander finished his second cycle of chemotherapy without any fevers or unexpected trips to the hospital, and his mood and overall energy level have continued to improve.  Right now, he is receiving his outpatient chemo infusion, having been inpatient last week.  So far, so good.  His counts are borderline low right now and expected to drop further, so he will get blood and platelet transfusions, but that’s not a big deal.  Alexander is sleeping well, eating fairly well (his appetite is somewhat suppressed in the days following his inpatient stays), and continuing to be his joyous self.  We are hunkered down in the house with my parents here to help us through this vulnerable week.  Charlotte has the entire week off school, which helps us keep him away from germy situations.  After our experience last cycle, we feel confident we can avoid fevers and continue to let Alexander enjoy life.

Our next major milestone happens December 5, when we go in for an MRI.  We already feel the “scanxiety”–there is nothing we can do but hold our breath and hope for a clean scan.

We are thankful for so much this year, the hardest year of our lives.  We are thankful for family (especially my parents, who have sacrificed so much to help us), friends, and the great school teachers and staff that enrich the lives of both Charlotte and Alexander.  We are also very thankful for the many caring healthcare workers that give us the confidence that Alexander is receiving the best possible treatment.  We are thankful for Christy’s colleagues at Medtronic, who have been so supportive of us.  We are thankful for all who have given so generously to find treatments and cures for childhood cancer.  And we are thankful for everyone who follows our story and keeps us in thoughts and prayers.