Done with Chemo!

She's Done!

Yesterday I gave Shoshana her last dose of chemo!  I don't think it's hit me yet.  Maybe it will hit me the first time we take an overnight trip and I realize that we don't need to pack any meds.  Maybe it will be the next time she's in an especially cranky funk, and I'll have to remember that it can't be the steroids, because she won't be on them.

It's been such a regular part of our morning and evening routine for so long that I hardly think it's strange anymore to be donning protective gloves to hand my daughter poisonous pills out of a bottle, which she then proceeds to put into her body.

Nope, it really hasn't hit me yet.

It took a long time to wean Shoshana off of Gabapentin, which she had been taking for nerve pain.  The wean was slow, but a few weeks ago, we finally were able to ditch it altogether.

School

Shoshana started kindergarten in the fall.  We were initially hesitant about her stamina, since being on chemo means that she needs naps on most days.  She seems to be doing fine, although she's only going three days a week (but that's another story, which doesn't belong on this blog.)

Anyway, Shoshana absolutely loves school.  Elizabeth and I might possibly want to homeschool at some point, and if we did, we would definitely need to be connected to a co-op so that Shoshana could connect with friends.  She has always been super social.  I remember when she was a baby, if it had been too long since she had been out among other people Elizabeth would ask me to take her to the grocery store or something so that she would get some social interaction.  She always came back in a better mood.

The Past

The past seven months have been kind of a blur for me.  Losing Judah at the end of an especially difficult pregnancy was only the beginning of the whirlwind of family drama and disruption.  We were hoping to sell our home at the end of November, and the buyer had to back out, and we learned that my job will be moving out of the state (without me) in the next year or so.

In all this, the Lord has been faithful, and there have been many little blessings along the way.

Shoshana had a bone marrow biopsy this November.  They did not find any leukemia in her bone marrow.

The Future

As I mentioned in a previous post, Shoshana is done taking chemo, but she is not out of danger of relapse.  The training wheels are off.  This next period of time she will be regularly monitored for any sign of the cancer coming back.  If there is still a cancerous white blood cell anywhere in her body, it could go right back to multiplying out of control, and we would essentially be back at square one.

Our hope and prayer is that this doesn't happen, but we will have to proceed into the future, and take each day as it comes, trusting that enough grace will also be given to overcome whatever trials are in store.

Shoshana's hair is now long enough that she can have ponytails!  And despite the stress of chemo on her body she has been growing like a weed in the night the whole time.  Abigail is three, and the girls have been interacting so well together (overall).  I'm so happy that they have each other as sisters, and I'm so happy that we get to be their Daddy and Mommy. 

Prayer Points

• Please give thanks that Shoshana has made it this far, and that she is doing so well.
• Pray that her treatment will have been successful, and she will not relapse.
• Ask for encouragement and grace for our family as we move forward together.
• Please also pray that we will be able to sell our house soon.