Saturday, January 30, 2010

Almost Halfway

Thursday was the 2nd of 4 appointments in 4 out of a total of 8 cycles, which means we are almost at the halfway point in Clay's chemo.  We have 18 appointments left.  The first one in this cycle was a difficult one, as seems to be the pattern, and Clay had a lot of aches and pains. This week they cut out the vencristin, and already we see a big difference in how he is feeling.

If you sent us a gift certificate to the Lebanese Market over the holidays, thank you!  It came with no identifying information.  Since it is Clay and my favorite place to eat lunch, we have enjoyed it thoroughly.  Please identify yourself!

Blogging is very much a one-way street.  When I started writing, it was the easiest way to reach out with news about Clay during a very difficult time.  Now that our lives have settled into a "new normal" I am not sure what to do.  Could you let me know if you would like to continue reading the blog --  by commenting, or by signing in?   I know in the past it was difficult to leave comments, but I think I have fixed that so it should be easier.   

What does all of this have to do with Elmo?  Well Grace and I enjoyed a mother-daughter weekend in NYC recently, visiting our friend and Grace's godmother, Caroline.  We packed a lot of NY experiences into 24 hours.  Did you know that taxis now have tv playing in the back seat?  I had to keep saying "Grace, look OUTSIDE the taxi!"  But we did not expect to see Elmo and Cookie Monster hanging out in Rockefeller Center.

Finally, something to be thinking about as the snow continues to fall in Washington... JD and I are going to be recruiting a team for a 5K "Race for Hope" in May.  Here is the link.


http://www.braintumorcommunity.org/site/PageServer?pagename=RFH_DC_HomePage


Please consider joining our team -- more information to come after the snow has melted and we can find our running shoes.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Housecleaning


We are all enjoying the break from Clay's treatment these past few weeks, and wanted to do a bit of housecleaning -- primarily thanking all of our family and friends who have helped make the past year better than it would have been.

First, a huge thank you to those who have contributed to the PLGA foundation in memory of JD's dad.  Several people have asked for the link to the site.  It is:
www.fightplga.org

We also wanted to thank the Thursday supper club families who have helped us out these past 9 months with wonderful meals each week.   We know how much work it is getting a hot dinner on the table for your own family, let alone doing double work to provide another family's meal.  Although I have intercepted a few folks at drop-off, mostly these have been silently left on the porch each week.  Thank you Glenda for organizing this, and thank you to each of the families who have helped us make it through our clinic-Thursdays with a warm meal waiting at home.  I am hoping I've included everyone:  

Tanya Vichnevsky, Klings, Forsythes,  Mathesons, Tombs, Ambrozys, Julia Forsyth, Pettys, Gillicks, Simons, Jacksons, Kellys, Harveys, Mandleurs, Egans, Lilleys, Hagertys. 

Finally, a general thank you for the countless cards, gifts, baked goods, and other kindnesses over the holidays. 
 
-- Mary

Sunday, January 3, 2010

2010


Clay had his last treatment in this cycle on Thursday, New Year's Eve. This round was a good one for Clay and this last treatment was no different- he has barely missed a beat since Thursday. Over the break we've enjoyed visiting with friends and family and even a few rounds on the ice rink with both kids.

Grace presented us with a story this morning that she wrote at night. I don't think I could summarize the past year, or the hopes for the future, any better than our 7 year old (my only edits are spelling)...

The Stormy Night, by Grace Derderian.
"Once upon a time there were a boy and a girl and there names were: Grace and Clay. They played with each other and they loved each other very much. One day when they were playing outside they saw a dark cloud. They ran inside and hid under the covers. They were really scared. When they pushed off the covers they heard thunder and they saw lightening. They went back under the covers. After the storm was over they went to a restaurant, it was called Pietanza. Grace ate spaghetti with red sauce and Clay ate pasta with butter and Parmesan cheese. The end."

Happy New Year to everyone.