The Road Map.

I thought I should update on the medical aspect of all of this. Liberty has been in a phase of treatment called Interim Maintenance since May 11th. We have liked this phase. (If you can like a phase of cancer treatment?) This has allowed her more time to act like a kid. We only had to go to clinic every 10 days. Now it did cause a little more anxiety before treatments because it was also just enough time for her to feel like she didn't have to go back. But we got through it. Each treatment was an escalating dose of methotrexate based on blood counts. Her blood counts stayed awesome as they always do and she was able to keep escalating. This phase also gave a small break from spinal tap chemo. She only had to have one during this phase and it was a 5 star tap! That is the opposite of a "CRAP" tap. (She's had one or two of those). So other than quite a bit of fatigue she has made it through.

The next phase is Standard Delayed Intensification from the beginning of July through August. It's going to be hard. The high dose steroids come back, also lots of strong chemo. And her counts will plummet. I.E. lots of down time and isolation. Not only that but we have had to add extra chemo to this phase. Back in the beginning of this roller coaster ride, Liberty's bone marrow tests put her in the Quick Response group. Well a new study just ended and according to the new cut offs Liberty's tests do not make it. So our Doctors and Nurses whom we love, have talked to all the top doc's in Pediatric Oncology and decided to keep her on the fast track according to the old study and just add a few to this phase. A middle road. I'll take it. Going down to the Slow Response group would mean another delayed intensification phase on top of this one and lots more chemo, which isn't always better. I trust our Doctor's and I think the Middle road they have chosen is good. Fingers crossed. Prayers. We still need them.