Home briefly
Tomorrow, after just 19 days in the hospital, I get to go home.
When I was admitted, the plan was to spend the full 28 days inpatient for induction chemotherapy. But thankfully, my body has tolerated treatment well. Because I'm feeling well and doing well, my team feels comfortable discharging me early to continue the next phase of treatment as an outpatient.
I'll gladly take that win.
This isn't the end of treatment, not even close. Beginning next week, I'll be at the VCU Massey Cancer Center every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for labs, appointments, transfusions if needed, and close monitoring while my bone marrow recovers from chemotherapy.
The next major milestone is my bone marrow biopsy.
That biopsy will tell us whether this first round of chemotherapy has put my leukemia into remission and whether I'm ready to move forward with my bone marrow transplant at MD Anderson in Houston.
If it has, Texas is next.
If it hasn't, we'll do another round of chemotherapy before heading there.
As excited as I am to go home, something wonderful happened yesterday- Keeler came home after spending four weeks at sleepaway camp.
To say I'm proud of him would be an understatement. Imagine being ten years old, four hours away from your family, with no electronics, no air conditioning, and days filled with riflery, sailing, power boating, swimming, archery, rock climbing, and countless other adventures.He crushed it. He came home with twenty awards that he earned through hard work and determination. Watching him grow into the independent young man he is has been one of the greatest joys of my life.
One of the very first things he did after getting home was come visit me in the hospital. Seeing him walk through that door, hearing all about camp, and celebrating everything he had accomplished was exactly what I needed.
Tomorrow, I get to go home to all three of my babies.
Cancer has a way of changing your perspective.
The things that once felt ordinary suddenly become extraordinary. A hug. A family dinner. The sound of my kids laughing in the next room. Those are the moments I'll treasure most tomorrow.
I'm incredibly grateful to my medical team for taking such amazing care of me, to every friend and family member who has visited, prayed, sent meals, checked in, or helped carry the load while I've been here, and to my incredible VVS family for keeping the practice thriving while I've been away.
Tomorrow isn't the finish line.
It's just the next step.
And for the first time in 19 days...
That next step is home. ❤️