1 Week to Go!

It doesn't seem possible Brayden is SO CLOSE to being done with chemo after nearly 40 months!!! We weren't counting down so much in the early days to end of treatment. But since 2012 rolled around, it's seemed so much more tangible! He's been planning his last night of chemo for a while. He wants to stay up all night & have all his favorite foods & do crazy experiments with his pills. We've since had to be sure it's safe to do said experiments! But it's so hard to fathom we're really at the finish line. Brayden has been counting down all his 'lasts' in treatment & Dad started a countdown calendar a while back and we're just in disbelief it's here. Friday, August 17th will be his last nightly dose of chemo. No more counting pills, setting the alarm, stopping eating at a certain time & being sure we give him his chemo at the right time, not touching the pills & waking up with worry of "Did we forget to give him his chemo?" That's almost 1200 nights of that worry....now behind us. Isn't that crazy to wrap your head around? Or is it just me?

It's going to be so hard to say goodbye to Highland's, the local Oncology clinic. The staff has become our family & has taken such good care of Brayden. After the first year of treatment, we saw them more than the staff at ACH! Each Monday we were there with him excited to see the nurses and that diminishing the reality he was there to have his chemo treatments & the impact it always brought Monday nights & Tuesday's. ACH trips were every 4th week....Highland's every week. We're not going to know what to do with ourselves those Monday afternoons. We're going to miss all those sweet, smiling faces knowing Brayden's name & he couldn't wait to visit with & update them on the latest activities in the Jones family. All those hugs & teasing with his favorite nurses....it's bittersweet now to be at the end. We'll obviously have to find reasons to go up & say hi & keep in touch to the amazing Nurses & staff that have done so much to keep Brayden safe & healthy (no port infections!) and paving the way to his battle against Leukemia with all the chemo treatments & blood checks & holding our breath on counts each Monday. We are SO going to miss all of them!!

Brayden's had a rough 10 days battling some serious congestion & Mom & Dad praying it didn't turn into pneumonia. We sure are hoping he can kick this last bit & his counts rebound strong so his immune system can return to normal. There's so much more to pray for in the coming days & weeks that I'll share soon. For now....only 6 more days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!