Time...

Time can be a funny thing. I got a phone call almost 18 months ago from Mandy's neurologist with results from her most recent MRI. I can't tell you exactly what was said, because my head started to spin shortly after he said hello. But, I do know words like "significant disease progression" and "chemotherapy" and "substantial growth" were used. A lot.

After numerous consultations, with numerous doctors, at numerous appointments, it was confirmed, unanimously and repeatedly, that chemo needed to start and would last for approximately 18 months.

Eighteen months.

Chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy for eighteen months.

Holy crap.

Eighteen months.

Well, it has almost come and gone, that eighteen months. It has wound up being somewhat longer than eighteen months, ultimately. Sometimes it feels like a lifetime ... I almost can't even really recall our lives B.C. (before chemo). The weekly clinic visits are our norm now.

It seems like forever ago that we didn't need to have a 1.3 pound medicine bag in the car, complete with narcotics, Emla cream, Glad Press-and-Seal and a thermometer.

It has been eons since I didn't obsess over her blood counts every week.

A lifetime since she went to school five days a week.

A year and a half ago everything changed. And most days, it seems even longer than that. Like it has just always been our life. It seemed like the point where chemo could safely come to an end would never get here.

And yet? Here it is. After this Wednesday, only 9 more weeks. 18+ months has been whittled down to a mere nine weeks. Funny how our perception of time has changed. There was a time when nine weeks would have sounded like long time. Now, ten more treatments, nine more weeks, well, that's just right around the corner.

Love to all~