Last dose of Dex

Tonight around 8 I will be giving Emily her last dose of Dexamethasone. Tracy will be at work, and I am sure we will call to tell her that we are done. Emily is excited to have this complete. It will also be the last dose of all the medications that are part of reinduction, so she's done with that part of the phase !

Yesterday she had her last done of IV Vinchristine in reinduction. She will continue to have Vinchristine once a month during maintenance, but that won't be for a few weeks. Vinchristine makes her tummy really unsettled and we dealth with that last night, but this morning she was not showing any of the effects.

Yesterday they also talked to us much more about the maintenance plan. First off the start date is October 21st ! that was nice to hear. Then some news that Emily is struggling with, but I am sure she will learn to deal with. They want to remove her port ASAP, which is going to mean she will need to have finger sticks weekly to draw blood, and will have to be accessed peripherally in a vein for the monthly IV. Baiscally a lot more pokes that she would like. I also worry that if complications happen we would have to have a PICC line again, which I think was the main catalyst for the blood clot. However, I know the doctors understand the benefits and risks of keeping a port in, and if they want it out, I fully support that decision. Emily is also going to have to take daily methotrexate along with 6MP, both in pill form. Other than daily pills and blood checks, we hope Emily's life will return to much the same way it was before March of this year.

Reconsolidation will start on Sept 23rd. It will be a long day, she will need to be put under for a LP Methotrexate therapy, and then several medications via IV port. She will likely throw up after these treatments, as she did in phase 2.

Hopefully Emily will be feeling better this weekend and we can get back out there and have some fun.