Cycle 3 Begins: Rescue Transplant Chemotherapy

The last week has been such a blessing, and we're so appreciative of our privacy and time at home with our little family. To be home with our girls together was a happy and special time. Madeleine is a month older than the last time she was at home, and in baby months, that is huge: she was so curious and busy taking in her "new" and stimulating surroundings she didn't nap at all during the first 2 days; she has discovered her feet and that she can lift them while laying on her back; she is laughing again, and screaming with her new louder voice; and she has reached a stage where the girls can interact with each other, having full baby conversations on their own. It was so heartwarming to watch them talk and play together!

Madeleine completed cycle 2 and the last of the induction chemotherapy last week and was discharged to go home last Saturday. We really wanted her to be 100% healthy when beginning chemo cycle 3 which was scheduled for Monday, 3/19. However, it was really in her's and Annalise's best interest to wait until later in the week so we were admitted on Thursday afternoon after morning clinic. Clinic is where we begin the day when Madeleine has checkups before beginning chemo and we're not yet admitted to the hospital so the treatment schedule isn't impacted.
A word on the different chemo-therapies:
While induction chemo is very high-dose chemo aimed at quickly attacking the tumor and eliminating the cancer, the next phase of her treatment has been called rescue chemotherapy, or transplant therapy, and over the three cycles she will receive more of the chemo medication total in smaller doses, making it more effective and safer for her. The doctors believe this is the best course of treatment to give Madeleine the best chance at eliminating the cancer completely and it never coming back. These three cycles will still be ugly days of the chemo infusions as these medications completely knock out the patient's stem cells; it's called rescue therapy because she will essentially receive her own bone marrow stem cells (autologous) through a transplant in these cycles. She will not have to contend with the possibility of her body rejecting the cells like the traditional bone marrow transplant patient. Rather, receiving her own stem cells should help her to recover more quickly from the chemo side effects.  These last three cycles are still planned as 28-days each.

We have a thing about Fridays: so far throughout this journey, Fridays seem to be synonymous with bad news or hard days. This Friday was different. We began chemo this morning and Madeleine has been doing well all day. She did receive a blood transfusion after the chemo to get her started off on the right foot, not as a result of her body getting sick. And we finally met some new friends: Akop and Melanie from Cedars came with Madeleine's cousin Loren to visit. These are our new friends who had it in their heart to welcome Madeleine into theirs and put their efforts into raising money to help our family because, "it was the least we could do."  Let's just say "the least they could do" is truly the most, because it will help us for months! Thank you so much to our family & everyone who participated in the Score for Madeleine Broomball event, and Cedars-Sinai community who gave to help us. You are forever in our hearts and thanks!!!!!