15th Anniversary Post: Blog Subject Becomes Blogger

I started this post to reflect on things coming full circle, with Mollie, who just finished up her freshman year at UCSD, starting to blog about her cancer experience as a cancer survivor.  The crazy thing is... my very first post on this blog was exactly 15 years ago today!  This was totally unplanned.

Things have changed a lot in 15 years and while the initial shock and fear of dealing with pediatric cancer have long since faded, the traces and impressions still show up as reminders in the ebb and flow of daily life. 

Mollie is living life to the fullest- though her high school experience was interrupted by COVID-19, she got involved, stayed active, and found her people.  Her freshman year at UCSD flew by (at least for us) and we poked and prodded her to apply for some scholarships.  And much to our pleasure, she was awarded the LLS Scholarship for Blood Cancer Survivors!

She can say her feelings about all of this much better than I can, so I'll refer you to her LLS bio and her blog.

https://www.lls.org/story/mollie

https://iloveyou-frommollie.blogspot.com/

Happy Summer Solstice!

A side note about the side bar quote:  Lance Armstrong sure had a fall from grace, but I can't bring myself to remove that quote.  I like it. It takes that kind of positive attitude and resilience to beat cancer at any age.  The Livestrong Foundation continues to help people with cancer, though the positive impact doesn't justify or counteract his unethical behavior as an athlete.  That Armstrong is still actively participating in society, even after his personal failings came to light in the most public of ways, is a demonstration of resilience.

America Deserves a Better

A month from now will mark 9 years since Mollie was diagnosed with leukemia. Our world was turned completely upside down. We had health insurance and the pediatric oncology clinic social worker advised us, in no uncertain terms, to maintain that insurance coverage at all costs. I quit my job to stay home and care for this 4-year old cancer patient, and we relied on Matt's employer-sponsored health insurance.

Thankfully, Mollie responded well to the chemo and achieved remission right away. Still, there were 2.5 years of chemo ahead. These were HARD years. We lived in fear of relapse, we always worried about finances, and the endless weeks of taking care of a kid on chemo so toxic that we had to handle it with gloves took a toll.

In the middle of all of this, the company Matt worked for consolidated and moved to a different state. We didn't want to move or sell our house at that time, but we were very, very concerned about any lapse in coverage. We knew that if we turned down the relocation, we would run a risk of Matt not finding a comparable job before COBRA benefits would run out. We didn’t have much of a choice because if Mollie lost coverage, it could be prohibitively expensive or even impossible for her to ever get health insurance again. 

Essentially, were forced to relocate in order to maintain continuous health insurance coverage. We sold our house at a significant loss; we had to move away from our beloved pediatric oncology caregivers, and our sweet daughter, who had already been through so much, had to change schools before first grade.

When the ACA was signed into law, preexisting condition exclusions were prohibited for children immediately. For us, and so many other families, this meant freedom. We could breathe easier, we could make decisions about our careers and living situations without worrying that our children might not be insurable if things didn't go as planned.

The AHCA bill is a step in the wrong direction. The passage of the AHCA in the House shows a callous disregard for basic and life-saving care for millions of Americans. Access to health care can make or break a family. Complex care, like treatment for cancer, cannot and should not be handled in emergency rooms. We ALL benefit when our neighbors are healthy, whether we think they are productive members of society or lazy slobs. I hope that the Senate will set the AHCA aside and focus on making real improvements to our health insurance system by working with all the stakeholders, like hospital groups, insurers, doctors groups, patient advocacy groups, etc. My daughter deserves better. We all do.

Life is good!

September 3 marked the 4th anniversary of Mollie's last day of chemotherapy.   Back in 2010, she had landed herself in the hospital with a severe rash, swollen gums, and fever.  A new hospital, in a new city, with doctors we had never met.   She wasn't showing signs of improvement for about a week, so the oncologists decided to do a bone marrow aspirate and a skin biopsy.  On what would have been her last day of treatment, we should have been celebrating her last chemo dose.  Instead, we were in tears watching her get wheeled off to surgery, and then waiting, scared to death, to find out whether she had relapsed.

We are so thankful that is in the rearview mirror.  An understatement, yes, but there is no way to truly convey how relieved, blessed, and happy we are.

Mollie also had her annual followup with her oncologist here at Children's Hospital Oakland.  She got a clean bill of health and a little medical education from Dr. B.  She got to listen to her own heart, chart her growth, and learned about percussion of her abdominal organs and palpation of her lymph nodes.  She does have some palpable lymph nodes and slightly enlarged tonsils- maybe signs that she is fighting a cold, but nothing worrisome or abnormal given her overall health.

The best news is that she doesn't have to go back for a year!  And she won't need another echocardiogram until 2018 because she received the lowest anthracycline dose and her scans have been consistently clear.

If you are so inclined, please check out our Alex's Lemonade Stand Million Mile Run page.

Mollie and Lucy's awesome cross country coach (Marin) wanted the team to do this as a service project.  The miles logged aren't up to date, but we will get there!  Mollie and Lucy are dedicated to XC.  Mollie loves running and has already shaved 3 minutes off of her mile from last year!

Thanks for checking in…

Sarah

6 Year Anniversary

In some ways, six years ago seems feels like a lifetime ago.  Mollie was so little, a few months younger than Liam is now, when she was diagnosed with leukemia.  I almost can't remember what our daily life was like before that diagnosis.

Mollie on her first communion day.

Today, we are all different.  We still feel the effects of this devastating diagnosis physically, financially, and emotionally.

Ready to show her artwork at the school talent show.

But, for the most part we are fine.  Mollie still doesn't really like to talk about her "cancer" experience, the long hospital stays, and the chemo.  And Lucy is very afraid of short hair and hair cuts- we wonder if she associates Mollie's bald head and constantly short hair with all the hospital and clinic visits and periods of Mollie not feeling well.

Dress (and act?) crazy day.

Most of the time we are just busy with the day to day activities of school, work, and sports.  Childhood cancer is all around me, but I avoid thinking too much about it.  I don't know whether it is still too painful or I just want to focus on other things because I'm afraid it will rear its ugly head again?  Or maybe because in this family with 3 active children, we just don't want to make room for cancer.

Last day of school.

 I do hope that one day we will have the opportunity to set up a foundation in Mollie's name, to give back, to help other families in the same position we found ourselves.  I'm most interested in siblings/whole family support, counseling for parents, and long-term effects on survivors.   Navigating the world post-cancer is tough.   We had a laser focus on Mollie's survival for several years, and it is still challenging to get back to "normal".  It is hard to know what to expect and what kinds of questions to ask of doctors & teachers. How do you communicate the whole experience to new friends who didn't know you when you were going through it? 

A's fans.

We know we are lucky the Mollie not only survived, but that she is thriving.  Our challenges are minor compared to so many affected by childhood cancer. We are so thankful to everyone who helped us get through the diagnosis and treatments.  And we appreciate how fortunate we are to be surrounded by these three happy, inquisitive, creative children 6 years after that heartbreaking day.

Five

Today marks FIVE years since Mollie's initial diagnosis with ALL.

Since Mollie's chemotherapy treatment ended, life has been full of all kinds of wonderful and challenging adventures.  Mollie has been in dance performances, girl scouts, taken tennis lessons, and played her first season of basketball.  We live in California now! Life is full of family, beautiful weather and landscapes, new and old friends, weekend adventures, church, school, work, etc.

Matt and I still think about leukemia often.  Not every day, but often.  I can still hear the exact inflection in Dr. Vega's voice when he said to us, "She has leukemia."  The hectic events just before and after getting the diagnosis come back to me in flashes.  My stomach still drops in that same way when Mollie has a fever or seems lethargic and ill.

When we first started reading the treatment protocol, 5 years seemed like a lifetime away.

Yet here we are. These 5 years have been a second chance.  Mollie has turned into a wonderful, sweet, warm-hearted person!  She is healthy, confident, sharp as a tack, and just cares so much about PEOPLE!  I no longer keep calendars for medications, place hand sanitizer on every horizontal surface, or carry a Huber needle and EMLA cream in my purse.

I feel a little ambivalent about this day.  Yes, five year event free survival rates are used as an endpoint to assess the effectiveness of different treatment protocols.  And the risk of relapse drops (I think- will double check the numbers with the doc tomorrow).  But those numbers don't predict what is going to happen to my family, my child.

Cancer took away our sense of ease and safety.  I am keenly aware that life could change, again, for us in a heartbeat.  Doctors and scientists are still learning, along with us parents, what the long term effects of 3 years of oral, IV, and intrathecal chemotherapy are on growing bodies and minds.

Mollie is sure of herself, yet aware of her limitations.  She knows about her health issues and is  motivated to exercise, eat healthy foods, and take care of her body.  Though it won't be carefree, I am very hopeful for her future.

My heart goes out especially to the families of those children that didn't make it to five years.  And those who continue to struggle.

Mollie is excited to host her first ever lemonade stand to raise money for the Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation in honor of this momentous occasion.  Please find her fundraising page here and stop by in person if you are local!

Pneumonia No More

A difficult thing about parenting a cancer survivor is not freaking out about relapse with every cough, fever, or "I'm not feeling good" complaint.  I mentioned Mollie's lingering cough in the last post-  this cough had been with her since Memorial Day.  She had been through two bouts of antibiotics, and a few days of Claritin (or Allegra?), and seen three different doctors- the darned thing just wouldn't go away.  None of her medical team seemed very concerned and chalked it up to allergies or "something viral".  

But, around the 4th of July we got fed up and worked ourselves into a bit of worry about the stubborn cough.  I took her in to see a different doctor than we had seen previously.   Dr. Thomas also thought it was probably residual bronchospasm from having a cold, but he did an X-ray to rule out anything else since the cough had persisted for more than 4 weeks.  He said the X-ray looked fine and sent Mollie home with a low dose, short course of steroids to help kick the cough.

Lo and behold, we get a phone message from the doctor's office a few days later telling us it was important that we call back because there was some additional information about Mollie's X-ray that we needed to discuss.  Of course, they were at lunch when I got the message,  so we really freaked out talking about all of the what-ifs.  Seriously, if you are in the medical field, please don't leave those kind of messages for people who have been through something like cancer.  Make sure you stick in a "don't be alarmed" or something.  Geez!  Oh yeah, and it would have been nice if someone had mentioned that a radiologist was going to review the images and get back to us-- we might not have panicked if we had been expecting a follow up call from the doctor!

Anyway, the outcome was that Mollie had a little bit of fluid in her left lung indicating pneumonia and they put her on broad spectrum abx in addition to the steroid.

We went back for follow up yesterday and the doctor (and radiologist!) confirmed that the pneumonia had resolved.  Phew!

Mollie and Lucy head off to Camp Rainbow this weekend.  While they are gone, the movers will come do their thing.  We will pick the girls up from camp and then start the cross-country trek to our new home in California.  Lots of balls in the air and I can't wait until it is over, however I'm a little sad and reluctant to leave the life and friends we have here in North Carolina.

Clinic Update

I'll cut right to the chase... Mollie's blood work came back fine!  Happy dance!

Dr. J thinks this lingering cough is allergy/post-nasal drip; her lungs sound great and she has a prominent lymph node or two, consistent with a cough/allergy.  No evidence of bronchitis or strep. Unfortunately the blood draw was an arm stick (not the preferred finger stick), but Mollie was a trooper and didn't even cry!  Her WBC is 12.3, ANC is 8000, hemoglobin is 13.6, and platelets are 237,000.   All of her other blood chemistry (electrolytes, liver markers, kidney markers) looked fine too. 

This was Mollie's last appointment at Levine Children's Hospital.   It is a great clinic and a wonderful group of people.  We will miss the staff and Dr. J!  Hopefully the new clinic will be up to snuff!

Four Years

Today marks four years since Mollie was diagnosed with preB cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.  June 17, 2008 seems like ages ago, but as I was recounting the story to a new friend the other day, I was surprised at how quickly all those intense feelings came flooding right back.  I still think about Mollie's diagnosis and treatment almost every day- whether it's interacting with the friends from oncology clinic, worrying about some symptom that one of the kids has, or just running across some paperwork or memento.

I know Mollie also experiences some intense emotions related to her cancer.  She doesn't like to talk about her leukemia to anyone except us- I think it is too hard for her to keep her feelings inside.   She is proud to be a survivor, but for now that's about all that she wants to share with most people. 

Four years from diagnosis, and more than a year off of treatment, Mollie is doesn't show too many outward signs of her 2.5 years of chemo.  Her hair is much longer and thicker than it has ever been.  She still has some balance and weakness issues in her legs; it is improving (especially with dance classes).  At the moment, she has a nasty cough that has been slowly improving (too slowly for me!).  We have seen the doc twice, but antibiotics are not helping.  We have her regular oncology appointment with Dr. J on Tuesday- I will feel better after talking with him.

School's out, we are getting ready for our big cross country move,  and we are enjoying late spring in North Carolina- chasing fireflies, spending evenings at the pool, and picking wild blackberries, honeysuckle, and Queen Anne's lace. 

Happy Father's Day!  My three are missing their Daddy and can't wait to see him next week!

Will update again after clinic...

Where Did April Go?

Spring is in full swing around here, and summer is just around the corner!  The next month is going to be the [relative] calm before the storm.  Starting in June we have the last day of school, Mollie and Lucy's ballet performance,  ballet camp,  Camp Rainbow, and then we are moving at the end of July!  And I have so much to accomplish to make that all happen smoothly!  I'll say it again... we are really excited to be moving back to California!

Mollie had a clinic visit a few weeks ago and everything went just fine.  Her blood counts were perfect and Dr. J said that she looks great and is growing well.   We had her regular pediatric visit as well, and Dr. L confirmed that Mollie appears to be very healthy.  One thing that both her doctors have noted are shotty nodes in her neck.  These are small, hard lymph nodes.  Dr. J said that they can mean that she is fighting an infection, or since they seem to be persistent, it might just be the way her nodes are after fighting multiple infections during chemo. 

Lucy is almost the exact same age that Mollie was at diagnosis, a fact that I do think about often, especially with the plethora of bruises that Lucy always has on her legs.  She is a rough-and-tumble girl though, and the bruising just comes with the territory.

Liam is a talkative two year old these days.  He tries to keep up with Lucy and Mollie, but is content doing his own thing when they are too busy for him. He's a smart little guy who wants to do everything by himself ("No!  Liam do it!").

We signed the kids up for the Blanket Fairy's Christmas in July again.  It was so great last year- we are all very touched by the generosity and kindness of the volunteers.  Next year, we plan to be fairies for another family. 

There are quite a few spots left for this summer, so if you have a child going through treatment or in remission, sign them up at the link below:

http://theblanketfairy.weebly.com/christmas-of-hope.html

2 x 4 = 8!

Today we celebrate Mollie's 8th birthday!  And with Liam being two and Lucy being four, it makes a lovely equation. 

Mollie is doing just great!  She was happy to find out that today is also Super Tuesday! She is doing very well in school, building up strength and having fun in dance class, and being a sweet sister and daughter.  Boy are we glad she was born!

In other news, we have made the decision to move back to California this summer! More details to come...

Merry Christmas (& Clinic Update)

Wow!  Has it really been over 3 months since I updated the blog?  I started a full-time job in a nutrition research lab in August and time just flies these days!

Mollie had her quarterly clinic appointment yesterday, which consists of a physical exam and CBC with differential.  Dr. J says she is looking great and she has the blood counts to prove it!  Her ANC is 4000- we got our Christmas wish! We have weathered a few fevers and colds without having to go to the hospital (although the anxiety made me want to check in to a mental hospital!).  She is taking dance classes now (ballet, tap, and jazz) and is just enjoying being a kid.  She is doing great in school, but her neuropsych evaluation revealed some areas of relative weakness.  We are looking forward to meeting with a team at her school in January to develop and IEP or 504 plan to address these areas.

Lucy and Liam are doing just fine, too.  We found a wonderful child care center and they have adjusted well.  It is really warm and family friendly.  Mollie goes there for after-school care and loves being there with her siblings!

I wanted to send a special THANK YOU to everyone who donated to CURE Childhood Cancer for Matt's NYC Marathon fundraiser.  We raised $2150 for pediatric cancer research and support and Matt had a personal best!

Mollie doesn't have to go back to clinic for 3 months(!) but I promise I will update the blog before then.  I think I need to do a big photo post.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Clinic Update

Mollie had clinic today (I just realized I forgot to post about August clinic because Matt took her to the appointment.  Oops!).

Great news-  her ANC is 2800- perfect!  All of her other blood counts (WBC 6.3; Hgb- 12.7; Plt 219), electrolytes, and liver enzymes are in the normal range too.

But the visit was a little difficult because they sprung a flu shot on her and needed to get blood via normal venipuncture (in the arm) and not Mollie's preferred finger stick.  Mollie cried lots of tears and begged me to let her wait on the flu shot.  While it was hard for me to see her cry, it reminded me that it has been over a year since she's had any invasive procedures (besides the regular finger or arm stick) and she's forgotten what it is like to deal with surprises at the oncology clinic.

Child life was great at helping her deal with it; they gave her the option of using freezy spray (a numbing agent that they spray on the skin).  Mollie had never used it before, so they brought in a teddy bear and demonstrated on him and then let her take the bear home!  She forgot all about the pain after that.

The other good news from Dr. J (oncologist) is that Mollie now only has to be seen in clinic every 3 months!  Sept. 3 was the 1 year anniversary of her end of treatment (!) and that means they can space out the follow-up visits further.  Mollie is happy about it; me, not so much.  I like the peace of mind that the monthly CBC offers, even if it is a false sense of security.

That's it for now!  Have a great week!

It's That Time of Year Again

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month.  
 You can tell from all the gold ribbons plastered everywhere, the corporate sponsorships, and TV specials, right?  Right.

Tragically, pediatric cancer doesn't get the attention and research funding it deserves.   And kids need adults to advocate for them and give them a voice.  Four-year-olds can't get all their buddies to join them in letter-writing campaigns and fundraising events.  It doesn't help that September is such a busy month.  Kids are just going back to school, everyone is adjusting to their new routines, and there's not much time to add anything else to the mix.  But, it is what it is.   We've got a month, let's make it worth something.

Please don't let this month go by without doing something!  What can you do?

• Make a donation to your favorite pediatric cancer research organization or charity
• Make a meal or send a gift box to a child (or family) fighting pediatric cancer or suffering the aftermath
• Donate blood
• Donate (new) toys or books to your local children's hospital
• Write to your Congressman and tell them you want to see more federally-sponsored pediatric cancer research

G2D1

The first day of school is already here?  Here's to a great second grade year!  Good luck Mollie!

P.S.  Mama promises to write a longer update soon.  So much to write, so little time!

Summer of Confidence

This summer, Mollie is making up for lost time!  She is busy mastering things that she couldn't or wouldn't attempt while on chemo: riding her bike without training wheels and learning to swim. 
She was treading water in the "deep end" at her lesson this morning! 

She is also reading chapter books, some by herself and some together with me.  So far she has finished Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, The Secret Garden, A Cricket in Times Square, and we are about halfway through with The Wind in the Willows.  

My parents were visiting last week and we all had a great time, despite the heat.  Mollie expressed interest in doing some needlework (cross stitch), so my mom picked up a kit at a craft store and taught Mollie how to get started.  Currently, she is working on making a cupcake design for Lucy.  It's a great quiet time activity that incorporates a lot of skills- manual dexterity, pattern/chart reading, counting stitches,  and following directions.
This weekend Mollie heads off to Camp Rainbow.  It is hard to believe this is her third year! Leave a comment or send an e mail if you would like her address to send her a card.

Clinic Update

Mollie had a great in-and-out clinic visit today!  Her counts were perfect:

Plt:  209
Hgb: 12.7
WBC:  6.8
ANC:  3700!

She is enjoying science camp this week in the mornings, followed by afternoon errands.  Today it was oncology clinic, tomorrow it is her follow-up neuropsych visit. 

On a different note, last night we found out that Mollie, Lucy, and Liam's second cousin was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma.  He's only 10 years old.  Our hearts go out to their family.  We know the awful feelings they are experiencing.  Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers!

Fundraising

Why haven't we done any fundraising for pediatric cancer in a while?  Numerous reasons.  Just being busy with moving to a new state & raising three (awesome) kids.  Feeling the need to take a break from cancer since the end of Mollie's treatment last year.  Maybe some confusion about which charities to support.

As the 3rd anniversary of Mollie's diagnosis rolled around this June, Matt and I had a serious talk about starting a foundation in Mollie's name to raise money to donate to a pediatric cancer organization of Mollie's choosing.  We still intend to do this someday, but the day after this conversation I saw a post on Facebook that seemed to be speaking to us.  The post, from CURE Childhood Cancer, a nonprofit that I trust and support, said

"Are you running in the ING NYC Marathon?  Check out what our friends at iRunnerBlog & Brooks Sports are doing and join their fundraising team to raise $50K to support CURE Childhood Cancer!"

It just so happens that Matt had already won a spot in the New York City Marathon and was planning to start training in July.  It seemed like the perfect opportunity and motivation to raise money for a pediatric cancer nonprofit organization.  CURE Childhood Cancer is based in Atlanta and provides funding for childhood cancer research grants, pediatric oncology fellowships, and patient and family support and education.

We are trying to raise $2500 by November, so please spread the word and help us reach our goal!  Click HERE to donate.  I still need to get some better pictures on our page and hopefully figure out how to put a button on the blog.

Neuropsych. Evaluation

Well, we have finally started Mollie's neuropsych evaluation.  It is going to happen over 3 appointments and we did the first last week.  It was was 3.5 hours of testing.  First we met with the doctor and talked together about Mollie's general disposition, likes and dislikes, and aptitude for different subjects.  Then came the wait.  Mollie met with the testing specialist (XO) for 3 hours, while I sat in the waiting room filling out a questionnaire and surfing the net.

At the end of it all, XO brought Mollie out to me and commented, "She's bright.  Very bright!"  So, she has about another 1.5 hours of testing left.  Her first grade teacher will fill out an assessment and Matt and I will send in our independent evaluations as well.  Then we will meet and discuss the results of the evaluation.

The point of all this?  Well, there are known late cognitive effects of chemotherapy (that happen months and even years after the end of treatment), particularly from the methotrexate she received in her cerebro-spinal fluid at least 15 times.  So, the idea is to perform a baseline analysis to make sure all her learning needs are being met currently and to establish a baseline from which to judge any future changes.  We need to know how Mollie learns so that we know what changes to look for and have an idea of how to help her should she need it. 

I feel that this analysis will be very useful; monitoring the long term side effects of the chemotherapy is incredibly important for Mollie's long term health.  While I know that the oncologists recognize that, I realize they are also primarily focused on helping these children survive (and rightly so).  That puts a lot of responsibility on the parents to make sure that the children receive adequate long-term follow-up care.  We are trying our best to stay on top of all of this, but it's hard because so little is known about the long term effects.


Coming soon... a post on fundraising!  Matt will be running for a CURE in November and we can use all the help we can get!

Norway (Warning: Lots of photos!)

The girls with Uncle Sam in Balestand

Yes, we just got back from a family vacation to Norway!

The air was crisp, clean, and cool.  It was light ~21 hours a day.  It was one of the most enchanting places I've ever been!

Just outside the Barony at Rosendal

Matt's parents invited us to join them on this trip, that included a stay at a friend's sheep farm located right on one of the southwestern fjords.  It was an idyllic location and the girl's had a wonderful time playing in the century-old farm house, feeding the sheep, fishing, and touring around.

Calling Cornelia, the head sheep

Aboard the ferry... it was windy!

Mollie's favorite flower- foxglove

Lucy and Liam at Bulvik

Charlie, Matt, and Liam awaiting the ferry

We spent a (very) little time in Bergen, and then took a quick but picturesque tour of the Sognefjord via the historic Flåm railway and ferry ride, stopping overnight in Balestrand.

At the Bryggen

 

Janet and Mollie warming up at a cafe in Bergen

Overall, it was a great trip!  The kids traveled very well and we had some great laughs along the way! 
 

Mollie enjoyed picking flowers around the farm house

3 years ago today...

Mollie was diagnosed with leukemia.  What started out as a doctor visit for a fever and malaise turned in to every parent's worst fear.

I remember the events of the previous day- the visit to Dr. B and her sending us to the ER at Children's Medical Center. Waiting for endless hours in a triage room, with Lucy in one of those big metal cribs they have in the hospital and Mollie scared to use the funky toilet, feeling annoyed but increasingly worried.  They weren't really doing anything but giving her IV fluids, tylenol, and pulling some labs.  Child life was wonderful!  I can't remember who it was... maybe Katie or Jamie?  They brought in princess movies, games, and a tiara and wand.  I had to go teach a class that night. By the time I returned to the hospital, Mollie had been admitted and transferred to a room on the 5th floor, where she spent the night.

Much of what happened next is a blur, but she did have a bone marrow biopsy at some point during the day.  What I remember most vividly is Dr. Vega coming in to the room and saying with his Spanish accent, "She has leukemia."  I can still hear every inflection in his voice, like a slow motion replay. 

In some ways it seems like such a long time ago, but at the same time, just thinking about it makes my heart race and my blood pressure rise.  That evening, Matt and I remarked that we were fortunate that we had a diagnosis, and we to focus our energy on healing Mollie, not dwelling on unanswerable questions and sadness.

.......

Happy Day, Mollie!  You are one tough cookie!