Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, dear friends and family! We had a wonderful Christmas, filled with love and family. We got the finest tree K mart had to offer and the beautiful, Bapcia home-made, stockings were hung (and eventually stuffed) with care. Xavier and Tilly were thrilled; Santa left a ride on toy for Tilly and a Transformer for Xavier-and even more thrilling was the constant stream of aunts, uncles and cousins to play with.

We really, really, tried to take photos, but this is the best I got:

It was fantastic to have Christmas with both of the children aware of what the day was and what it meant. They both were so happy for Jesus' birthday and were so pleased when we brought out both nativities and set them up, the glass one out of their reach and the paper mache one where they could move the shepherds around and invite random action figures to partake in witnessing the Incarnation. The one drawback to this very active interaction was the toll it took on the paper mache. Even the ceramic tree got chipped.

But fear not! It looks like a re-enactment of the slaughter of the Innocents here but I both glued everyone's head back on AND purchased a more sturdy plastic nativity at the 50% off sale at Walgreens this week!

Finally, apologies to everyone who has tried to contact us in the last week. We have been hibernating again--the traditional mid-winter withdrawal. We've just been enjoying the quiet glow of the Christmas tree and nursing our way through a common and communal cold. I promise I'm back in communication now and the cold is on the mend!

We wish you the merriest of New Years. Many, many, thanks for all your kindnesses in the last year. You have our love and prayers for the year ahead.

First Dose of MDX-010

We drove into Connecticut on Wednesday evening and stayed at a hotel near Hartford. Chris, Betty's husband, is the general manager there and was extremely generous to put us up for the night (and the next.)

The next morning, Aimee's sister Kate drove to the hotel to watch the kids (including 2 of her own), and Aimee and I headed over to New Haven for a 9:10AM appointment. We're not sure why they insisted we get there so early, as the treatment wasn't administered until after 1:00pm. Aimee was infused with the medicine for 90 minutes, and they kept her there an extra hour just to make sure there were no serious side effects. We were back in Hartford by 4:30 and left for Boston this morning.

Interesting people there at Yale-- there's definitely a marked difference between them and our Boston medical group. Boston, or at least Beth Israel Medical Center, is overtly professional and rigidly thorough-- amicable, but only after the proper job has been performed. At Yale, everyone's laid-back, as if cancer is a gentle and slightly painful lifestyle that someone chooses. Treatment is delivered while the patients sit in lazyboys; there are six people in one 12' x 12' room, so they're all eavesdropping on everyone's cancer story (but all in a friendly manner...). Appropriately, it's set up like a medical opium den. There's no hurry to get your meds, and having your vital signs measured every half hour requires a gentle reminder.

For them, interleukin II is only a legend, one which they've heard many tales about, but never thought really existed. Aimee was like a mythical war hero. At the same time, there were other cancer veterans in there (whose stories we overheard as well). One woman was talking about the chemotherapy she had received ten years ago! We hope to be doing the same in 2017....

All in all, the MDX seems like a cake walk compared to the IL-II. I think Aimee, for the most part, would agree.

- Will

Hi All,

MDX 010, part one, went very well. Besides feeling a little bit squicky (that is mildly sick, squeamish and yucky, and yes, that is the medical term) and having a small back ache, I feel remarkably well. I know, it is true, I am the luckiest girl around! Must have been all your love and prayers that are carrying me through. Thank you!
One down, three to go. Not too shabby for one day's work.
With lots of love (and many lame excuses for not having purchased a single postage stamp for all the Christmas cards I planned to send to you all),
Aimee

Thursday

It looks like, somehow, the stars have aligned, the tests have been forcibly scheduled, and we will be starting the MDX 010 treatment in Conn on Thursday after all. After some super fancy footwork on everyone's part, I'll do a PET, bloodwork today, another MRI tomorrow morning, and MDX 0101 bright and early on Thursday morning. (Plus, we'll be saving on the electric bill by shutting off the lights and eating dinner by my warm radioactive glow!) We'll keep you posted on how the treatment goes. With love.

Snowed In!

Yikes! We're getting hit by snow this evening. But we're prepared. First, Xavier and I play some computer games. "Daddy, stop making your guy fall down. We have to beat the bad guy!"



Then, we did pizza night. The kids got to make their own. Oddly enough, we found some strange combinations that weren't so bad. Xavier's specialty was peanut, raisin, pineapple and cranberry. Tilly wasn't so hot on the cranberry, and Aimee thought it needed a little Feta. Here they are, each, with their own handcrafted masterpiece.

Merry December

With all our scheduling and scanning, we have been neglecting our posts of late. We were blessed to have most of Will's family up for Thanksgiving. We had a fantastic time, and can't wait to do it again! Here is a photo of the kids with their Bapcia and Papa B.

Xavier and Tilly are thrilled with all the holiday happenings. Xavier is helping out extra with household chores to make sure he gets in a last minute good word with Santa. Here, he helps do Tilly's "do" for the day.
He is a BIG help!

Also, my parents sent home to Somerville the kitchen set that my Dad made for my fourth Christmas. This is producing, as always, hours and hours of washing and baking fun for everyone. Thanks, Dad!We are all doing well, and are getting ready and excited for Christmas. I finished up my classes for the semester and am just working on my grading. On the medical front, I did my brain MRI on Monday, have a PET scan and another round of minor tests on the 18th, a liver MRI sometime between now and the 19th, and, hopefully, start treatments in New Haven on the 20th.

I continue to be amazed and humbled by the outpouring of love and support that you all keep sending our way. We are blessed in our friends and family. Thank you so much!
With all our love,
Aimee

New Haven, CT

Yesterday was a long, cold day. We got the kids up at the crack of dawn and drove over to New Haven for a 9:30am appointment. Aimee wasn't done until 1pm. And then everyone got carsick on the way home.

The doctors found 2 more tumors on Aimee- one on her neck and one under her arm. Good thing she starts treatment next week.

On the bright side, it's not yesterday anymore!