Day 146 – August 11, 2022

9:00 pm: Harvey returned to the hospital this morning for scheduled inpatient chemotherapy (high-dose methotrexate). The past 12 days since our last update have been wonderfully uneventful, medically speaking. He’s remained healthy and at home – We’re so grateful for this! We continue navigating the fine line between keeping our immunocompromised boy healthy and letting him do all the things a 4-year-old should be able to do. One of the recent difficult decisions we made was to not have Harvey rejoin his pre-k class this year. 11 months ago, we were hesitant and worried about sending Harvey to school full-time, wondering if he would be ready. It’s funny how that dreaded moment in time is something that we long for today. Perspective. While we wish he could return to the classroom in the coming weeks, we’re so happy that he had nearly a full year of pre-k full of new friends and experiences. Reflection has occurred organically this week as Hattie and Henry became first graders on Monday. I quickly remembered that silence in a typically active home is quite… Unsettling. Also, welcomed! I’m assuming other parents can relate?

Harv is now halfway through this interim maintenance 1 phase of cancer treatment. Daily oral chemotherapy continues, combined with 4 hospital admissions to receive high-dose chemotherapy and procedures to have chemotherapy administered intrathecally. Even with our fighter in remission, chemotherapy remains one of our most used words. My previous ignorance for all things leukemia and cancer is now apparent. I always assumed remission meant that a person with cancer was successfully treated and it possibly marked the end or dialing back of chemotherapy. *Buzzer* I was wrong! Remission does mean the treatment is working, but more so that it’s full speed ahead with more harsh treatments to ensure that every opportunity for leukemia recurrence is eliminated. That said, remission is our most used word these days! 🙂

That’s the latest from our hospital room tonight. Harvey is currently receiving chemo (hour 6 of 22) and is lounging comfortably in bed playing Minecraft (his new favorite game). I expect he will discharged late Saturday night or Sunday morning and will (hopefully) remain at home until the next hospital admission, currently scheduled for August 25th. The long journey ahead is overshadowed by our joy and gratitude. We’re so incredibly grateful for the love and support you’ve shown Harvey and our family – Thank you!!