Day 182

     Katie is still looking good to us, but Scott wants to wait until tomorrow morning before I cancel her appointment, because you just never know.  If Katie doesn't go in tomorrow and doesn't need blood anytime soon, then our next appointment is scheduled for May 16th (we have Zach's wedding the next day, on the 17th.  It is terrible timing, but our only other option for treatment was to split it into two parts, part on the wedding day, and the other part the day after - we choose to do one full day treatment the day before the wedding - we aren't sure how Katie will be feeling, and how all of this is going to work out - but Katie's treatment can't be delayed). 
     May 16th is the beginning of a new phase.  Katie will go in for a spinal tap and have spinal fluid removed from her spine and chemo put in its place, when she wakes up from that procedure, then we will go back to the clinic to have a different type of IV chemo put into her port, plus another medication to prevent pneumonia.  It will be a long no fun day.  But for now, we are glad she is feeling better than anticipated at this point.      
     I don't want to take Katie in and access her port just for this, but it would be nice to know if her immune levels have gone up, so we could go out and do something.  Her levels have been low, so we have been "home bound" for a long time now, because Katie can't go out.  Scott and I take turns every other Sunday staying home with Katie.  I go to the grocery store when Scott gets home from work.  Because Katie can't really go anywhere, I/we can't go anywhere.  On the weekends when Scott is home and I could go out by myself, I have chosen not to, because I would rather spend time together with Scott and together as a family.  That part has been by choice.  However, we are starting to go a little stir crazy and I occasionally get that "cabin fever" feeling.  I know Katie and Conner are missing going out.  We talk about all the things we will go and do when Katie gets better - things we used to take for granted - going to church together, going out to eat, going to the mall, going to the park, going to the zoo, etc.  For now, we go on walks every night and go for drives in the car.  Katie and Conners big excitement has been going through the drive-through at the bank, Sonic, or the pharmacy.  Yes...it will be nice when we can all go and do again!
     President Thomas S. Monson has quoted Thomas Fuller as saying: “He does not believe that does not live according to his belief." (Ensign, "Living the Abundant Life," Jan., 2012)  A simple yet profound truth!