Hello everyone.

I wanted to give an update on my progress.  Things are going very well, I am still in remission!  Each day that goes by that I remain in remission increases the odds that I stay in remission.  After two years in remission my odds are great that it will stay that way.  My immune system is back into the normal range.  Like everything, there is a range of normal for all your bodily systems, white blood cells, red blood cell, platelets and 40 others things they can test for.  Right now my systems are on the low end of the normal range for many items.  This bothers me for a few reasons.  I am competitive and don't want to be on the low range of anything.  I assume that being on the high end of normal is probably better, although my doctor has not told me this is the case.  Lastly, I dont know where any of these values were pre-cancer /  treatment, so I will never know if I got back to my normal...frustrating.[...]

2018 has been quite a year.  I never would have thought that it would start with being diagnosed with Leukemia and spending months in and out of the hospital.  Life is full of curve balls. [...]

You've seen the good news from the last post. There are so many people who helped me get here. So much to be thankful for that we've decided it is time for a "Just Because" open house party.  [...]

Sorry for the long delay since my last post.  I just went along with my business and forgot that I should posting now and then.  I could bore you with the details of the last chemo, but I will skip to the good news, I am in remission![...]

I only had more hurdle to make it over before I could start my full recovery.  That would be making thru the "Nadir" phase. Nadir is French word which means "The lowest point".  The doctors refer to the 10 or so days that you have no immune system as Nadir.[...]

Today was the day!  I had my last dose of chemo at 5am this morning.  Made it through 4 rounds of consolidation chemo as needed and it was no small undertaking.  Some folks cannot make it through 4 rounds because it is too hard on them, I am glad I was able.  All the nurses wanted to say goodbye in case I never cross their doorstep again.  There was plenty of crying.  I posted two new pictures from this morning's event.[...]

Today I started round 4 of chemo.  If all goes per plan this will be my last round of chemo!  I am excited to make it thru the next month so I can start to get back to normal.  I just need to get thru the no immune system phase with no fever.  [...]

On May 3rd I went back into the hospital to start round 3 of chemo therapy.  By May 8 I received my last dose. Everything went well and I was doing stuff around the house as I have been.  Per normal, over the next 5 days my platelets, white & red blood cells dropped to zero.  So by May 13th I was in the danger zone where I have no immune system for the next 10 days.  If we walk to coffee for some exercise, I wait out side and let Karen go in and face the masses.[...]

Not much to report so I have been slacking on my posts.  I managed to make it thru the last cycle without getting a fever like I did in round #1.  That was very good news because it saved me spending a week in the hospital getting antibiotics.  I think I learned things in round #1 that help me not get a fever / infection.  I was supposed to go back into the hospital to start round #3 last Wednesday, but my numbers did not come up as fast as they did last month.  It has taken about one week longer to be high enough to start the next round, which starts tomorrow.  Maybe this means my old bones are tired of getting beat up.[...]

My last post was on April 3rd and I had just finished my second round of consolidation chemo.  It is now 8 days later and the chemo has done its job.  My immune system (white blood cells) are at zero and my red blood cells and platelets have dropped as well.  When they drop too low I have to go in and get an infusion of red blood cells and platelets which is exactly where I am at this moment.[...]