Lauren was up at CHLA yesterday getting her bi-weekly chemo. Everything went smoothly. She didn't get, or feel sick. She also got her monthly pentamidine. Which she breaths through a tube for a 1/2 hour, which helps prevents pneumonia (I think). Also, she needs to do the treatment in a separate room away from anyone that is pregnant or is planning on becoming pregnant (not sure exactly why, other than it's not good for them). This was the first time Hilary has been able to go into the room with her, usually granny goes in with her (or me). Apparently it tastes REALLY bad. A lot of older kids can't take it. But not Lauren, she sits there and just sucks it up (literally). She makes me so proud. Rarely complains. She does suck on a lollipop to helps with the taste though.

Lauren's blood looks good. They have lowered her Prednisone 10% to 20 mg a day (10 mg in the morning and 10 mg at night). They lower her steroid intake 10% every week. At this rate (10%), it will take her 32 weeks to get under 1 mg!! I can't express how much I hate her being on steroids. She is so puffy that her eyes are barely open. Her looking the way she does is a constant reminder of what she is battling, not to mention we worry about how it makes her feel when she looks in the mirror. We just want our baby back. Not that we know what her normal look is anymore. It's been so long.

Auntie Say-Say update: Her 2nd round of high dose chemo and stem cell rescue is complete. Her blood count is on its way up. I believe she is no longer neutropenic. And even though she is not neutropenic, she still needs to remain extremely careful because we know by experience that not being neutropenic is no safeguard against getting very sick and possiblly septic (going into shock). Every time Lauren has become very sick (going septic once) she was not neutropenic, her counts were normal.

Last Saturday Lauren spent part of the day gardening (pulling weeds) at the church with her Daisy troop.