We made it to Texas yesterday.
Yesterday was a very hard day. Saying goodbye to my kids absolutely gutted me. I don’t know exactly how long I’ll be gone, but I know it will be months. And that’s a hard thing to explain to a 7-, 8-, and 11-year-old.
My 8-year-old asked why the medicine couldn’t just be delivered to Virginia. Then she asked why they couldn’t all come to Texas and be homeschooled here. I wish I’d had all the time in the world to explain all the reasons those things weren’t possible, but I didn’t. So we just cried.
And cried and cried. It was painful.
We were given an incredibly generous gift of a private flight to Texas, which made the trip so much easier and safer than flying commercially. I cannot adequately express how grateful I am for that kindness, especially after everything my body has been through over the past few weeks.
We picked up our rental car and arrived at our Vrbo, which is lovely. But it is quiet. There aren’t three kids running through the house, asking for snacks, fighting, laughing, or needing something every five minutes.
It is just quiet. And even writing that is hard.
There are so many emotions wrapped up in being here. I miss my babies more than I can put into words, but I came to Texas because I want the best care possible. I came here because I have more life to live and three very important reasons to do everything I possibly can to get home.
Today was exhausting. I started with a nurse intake appointment and then had approximately 20 tubes of blood drawn. I have a PICC line, but they couldn’t use it until they confirmed its placement with an X-ray, so my arm got the full experience.
Then I met Dr. Bouligny, who was great! He is knowledgeable, kind, and very clear about the path forward.
As we already knew, everything depends on the results of this bone marrow biopsy. But one thing is certain: the goal is a stem cell transplant. There is no chance of beating this mutated form of AML without one, so that is what we are working toward.
Next came the bone marrow biopsy, followed by the X-ray to check my PICC placement. By the time we finished around 4 p.m., I was completely done. Dad and came home, ordered Thai food, and were both in bed by 7.
Tomorrow I meet with the stem cell transplant team. On Friday, I should have more answers and a clearer idea of what comes next.
So right now, I am asking for all the prayers, positive thoughts, good energy, and anything else you believe in. Please pray that this bone marrow biopsy shows I am in remission and that I can move forward with the transplant.
That is the goal.