LAST LUMBAR PUNCTURE.

Hooray for the LAST LUMBAR PUNCTURE!

Next month - the last chemo visit. They said we could get her port taken out that same day, but I thought I'd do it a couple weeks later, when the kids are out from fall break. That way, she won't accidentally get jostled at school and hurt her incision. They said it's pretty quick recovery to have the port out.

Charly will still continue for another 9 days after her September visit taking her nightly chemo pills at home, then she's done on October 4th!

Even though the chemo is done, we are still going to be visiting Primary's every month....for the next year. I'm so grateful she is so smart and hasn't had a problem keeping up from all these missed school days, because it looks like that won't be ending soon.

Then (barring any complications) we go to quarterly visits, then semi-annual visits, then annual visits. Pretty much the oncologist wants to see her for the rest of her life.  Even when she reaches adulthood, they want her getting annual check-ups.

At her visit today, her bilirubin was at a 4.7 (still high, last time was 4.1). Her ANC was 3100. Again, the dilemma. The bilirubin would have them decreasing chemo, but her ANC would have them increasing it. So.... they are leaving her be.

Sean and I are biting our nails. The high ANC makes us wonder if this means she'll get off chemo and relapse. I ask everytime. The answer is always a vague negative, because there isn't some concrete rule. I realize that nobody wants to promise that the cancer is gone forever, because they truly can't predict that. They can only rely on statistical analysis. Today, the doc says the high ANC readings usually means that the patient hasn't been taking their chemo, which is NOT the case with Charlotte. We have been on top of her pills. The doctor says he can tell ... because it shows from her high bilirubin levels. Sean mentioned to me last month that the clinic staff told him how some families go for a week or two, forgetting to give their child their cancer medication. It blows my mind. Sean and I are so anal about it. Even with the complicated pill schedule, how could they forget?

I'm so excited and nervous. I realize it's never really "over", but I am so ready for it to be over. Let this be enough to kill it and have it never return! Let her be healthy and strong! Let the countdown to the end begin! October 4 - here we come.