Numbers

I have always been kind of a 'numbers' person. I usually did well in math in school and I enjoy figuring out math equations (to an extent!) At this point in my life, with four kids, there are always a lot of numbers floating around in my head. Knowing everyone's birthdays, what time they need to get dropped off and picked up from school or practice or a friends' house, how many pages of homework to do, how many minutes they read every day... I know in every house with kids, the story is the same. With Brooklyn, there is a whole new set of numbers to remember- how many pills she takes every night, what her blood counts are, what temperature her fever needs to be for us to go into the hospital. It is an every day necessity, remembering how many pills on which days - it's not something we can forget or screw up. There are a lot of things and numbers to remember! It's also weird to look at Kelsey now and think that she is about the age that Brooklyn was when she was diagnosed. It's hard to remember back to the time before Brooklyn had leukemia, she doesn't remember anything from before she was sick at all. Taking medication daily and going to the doctor regularly is so much a part of who she is now. She even said the other day that she never wants to take her "special necklace" (her port) out. It makes me happy that we have made her feel special that she has her necklace, but also kind of sad that she is almost comforted by having it there because she's been sick for so long - about half of her life. But there is another set of numbers that is super exciting... Our countdown to the end of Brooklyn's treatment. It is hard to believe that she is almost done! Not to say that the last two years have flown by, because that is not the case at all; there have been some long days and trying times for sure, as well sleepless nights when we have been very worried about her health. But God has brought us through the last two years with little interruption to her treatment schedule, and He has brought us so much support through the caring concern others have shown our family. When we went in to the doctor this week, she heard fluid in Brooklyn's lungs. It is something I've been waiting for - it seems unreal that we haven't been admitted to the hospital since last winter! I am happy about it and extremely glad that she's been so healthy, but we've all had a bad cough and cold over the last month or so and I keep thinking that she is going to get pneumonia again. The doctor wasn't entirely sure that it is pneumonia, but she put Brookie on a additional antibiotic just in case. I was relieved because I was assuming she would have to be checked into the hospital, but as long as she stays fever free, she won't have to. It has been a rough week for her with being on steroids and the additional antibiotic. She has felt progressively worse every day. Her cough does seem to be better though so that is good. The exciting part of her appointment was when the nurse came in and gave us Brooklyn's calendar of treatment for the next few months. Her final day of treatment is April 4th!!! I can't believe it is so soon! I was thinking about it the other day when we were driving somewhere and I got this almost overwhelming feeling of joy and excitement. Next week is her last spinal tap! It seemed insurmountable when they said she would receive about 25 spinal taps during the course of her treatment, and now here we are - at the last one! This entire experience over the last 2 + years has taught me that no matter what the numbers may be, as overwhelming and scary as they may seem, if we just take every day one at a time, God will get us through.