10/11/05
8:00 PM: After we had an alarm malfunction yesterday and didn't wake up until 7:18, Randall was careful to check the volume on the alarm clock and find a good station so we wouldn't repeat yesterday's problem. Unfortunately, he then forgot to actually turn the alarm on. So this morning, when we woke up at 7:30, we really were running around frantically to get Elisabeth out to the bus by 7:40. But we made it with a minute or two to spare, and I do believe I will be double-checking the alarm settings tonight.
Randall is on fall break this week, so he doesn't have to go in to Duke for classes. We both worked at home today. Sophie did well, except when I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and get her bath out of the way while Shatesha was here this morning. She cried the whole time, and ultimately Shatesha had to leave the room while I did the bathing. Randall pointed out that we've never had anyone but family give her a bath (it's not something we ask babysitters to do, for example), so it's not surprising that she wouldn't feel comfortable.
Tonight, I took the girls to Elisabeth's dance class (where I got the chance to talk with another mom whose child just finished treatment for cancer--Ewing's Sarcoma--she had a 20% prognosis and is doing well). Randall is spending tonight volunteering with a medical group that works with some migrant farm workers in our area. He's been interested in this organization for quite a while, and it also satisfies the requirements for a class project. He'll do that a few more times during the semester and will look for other opportunities to continue being involved.
Tomorrow, Randall will take Sophie for her last clinic visit in this fourth round of treatment (delayed intensification). Another milestone. The only chemotherapy she'll have to get is vincristine in her IV line. They'll check her counts when she arrives to see if she needs a transfusion. As Randall mentioned, her bruising indicates her platelets are somewhat low, but she isn't bruising in unusual areas or showing signs of petechiae, so I wouldn't be surprised if the levels are okay for now. Next week, they'll be checking her counts to see if her ANC is high enough to start her last (and final) round of chemotherapy. This maintenance phase will involve less-frequent visits to the clinic and a fair amount of medicine given at home, and it will last until the end of May 2007. We're in this for the long haul!