Almost done with induction

Another uneventful visit to Hassenfeld today.  Stella's blood test results continue to look good.  She gave Dr. Carroll a thank you card that she made, featuring meticulously colored-in block letters and a pretty good likeness of Dr. Carroll, beard and all.  He loved it.

It's now a countdown to the end of her steroid course.  We can't wait.  When the next phase of her treatment starts a week from Thursday, she will begin a new daily regimen of a drug called 6-MP, along with her regular weekly doses of the other stuff.

You'll notice that the milestones have been adjusted a little.  Since Stella's doing so well with the PICC line, we're going to keep it in a little while longer.  We're in no hurry to get the MediPort; because she'll be a little sore after the procedure, it makes sense to delay it by a week or two until the steroids are out of her system and she's feeling more comfortable physically.

As we approach the end of the induction phase of Stella's treatment, Adrianne and I continue to be astonished every day with the incredible grace, humor, and maturity with which Stella is handling her situation.  From being away from her school friends to experiencing rapid weight gain to learning about the prospect of losing her hair, Stella is rolling with every punch and making us so proud of her.