Rounding First

It's hard to believe I've been this remiss about posting. I guess the (glorious) repetition of Millie's medical schedules make for difficulty in coming up with new ways of expressing the same story, the same sentiment. The schedules are glorious as they are generally without drama, without intervention or concern. Each 3 months we wake her in darkness to drive to the MRI under anesthesia- after which, each time, she wakes, grumpily sucks a popsicle, and eventually asks to be taken to Toys R Us for her "reward".

This last MRI, in February, was done in Oakland with Brian to great success. I was relieved not to be there, and all parties seemed to get along better without my fretting. We had been going to SF for these 10 quarters in a row, since December 2009. We all needed a change.

Millie is now starting softball with her team the Petaluma Pistols ("Fast and Fearless"). In her very first game, first time at bat, she hit a grounder and got on base. We all wish her leg was doing better, as her brace is bothering her to no end- but so far the improvement in her peronial nerve is incremental at best. She says her foot feels like it is "on fire" when in her brace. Sigh. I can only hope that this is a sign the nerve is awakening. We may start her in physical therapy again now that I have full medical coverage through my new job at Autodesk (yay!).

I am thrilled with my job, and also by the fact that I felt confident enough in Millie's health and prognosis to take a full time job. I had been freelancing since May of 2010- always aware that I might be back in the hospital at any moment. This confidence, this opportunity, and these suberb health benefits are such a blessing to our family and to me as a working mom. I feel a renewed sense of hope and security overall.

We are literally rounding first and heading towards 2nd base this year. As we look to August we look to our two-year anniversary of being "off treatment". This is an important milestone as our prognosis gets better if Millie makes it to this point with no relapse or metastasis.