Here we go!!! 32 treatment weeks down, 24 to go til Maintenance!! These last 24 weeks (a treatment phase called Intensification 2), she will be in the hospital more than she’s out, just due to the high doses of chemo she’s getting and how much it will compromise her immunity. She moved back into CHOC on Monday and will be here for 3-4 weeks to start with.

This phase is a marathon I’ve been dreading in many ways and there is considerable relief in finally getting started with it. The sooner we start, the sooner we’ll be through it!

Brooke is so good at looking at the bright side, I’m not sure she even remembers that there is a not-so-bright side. She’s been packing up favorite items for the last week and when we got here on Monday, she lead the way to the 5th floor, danced down the hall, gave her nurse a big hug, hopped up on the bed and pulled out her central line to be hooked up to the IV before her nurse could even ask her to!

Aidan is also in high spirits, and is ready to take on an adaptable schedule for the next few months. He was reminding me on Monday that this is all going to be ok and will bring us gifts in the long run.

One huge saving grace for this phase is that my Mom will be here for most of it! She arrived last Wednesday to help us prep and is planning to be back and forth from her home in Sacramento for however long it takes us to get through this phase (probably 7-8 months). It will make such a huge difference to have her here to take shifts at the hospital so I can get breaks and time with Aidan, to do things with Aidan while I’m here, and to support us all through the challenges! I am extremely grateful that she has put her life on hold to help us with this. I really don’t know how I would do it without her!