My friends I wish I could report that this week has been a cake walk, but it’s been quite the opposite. They warn you that the side effects get worse as rounds progress and in my case they’re right.

I’ll spare the details but its been rough. I’m recovering at my in-laws’ home in Jacksonville this week. I’m grateful the kids won’t be here until this weekend. This is not a version of mom I want them to have in their memory.

The GOOD NEWS: We met with my oncologist who said I am “clinically responding” to treatment! (I.e. The chemo sucks, but it’s working) This is incredible news. I also met with the stem cell transplant MD who went over some information that I will share in a later post. We are still making decisions about where to have the transplant done. As of now though it looks like I will start that process mid-late June.

One of the shining lights of this round was having one of my best friends, Amy, accompany me to treatment. Similarly to last time, we picked a theme, passed out goodies and brought some smiles to the Mayo Clinic patients and staff.

Amy and I were immediately bonded ever since I watched her dance off a bus sporting a pink bandana and pigtail braids in 2009. That same day we became friends, we became family.

You see, before I became a mom there was another group of kids that I poured my heart and soul in to and those were my campers at Camp Smile A Mile (now just known as Smile A Mile). http://www.smileamile.org.

Smile a Mile provides a summer camp program for children in Alabama with cancer. Amy and I were counselors at that camp together for many years. Each year, enriching our friendship deeper than the year before. I could write 10 blog posts about camp; the family mentality, ALL the relationships I developed there (because its a lot), the fun, the kindness and most importantly the LOVE. Just know, camp changed me as a person. I never felt truly seen and at home until I met the people at Smile A Mile and Amy was a big part of that.

That’s why she was the perfect person to help me bring the FUN to mayo.

“Camp taught us that. How to bring the fun when times are hard.”

-Pink bandana Amy

It overwhelms me how the SAM family has shown up for me recently. It’s been years since I’ve been able to volunteer there. Past counselors and even my former campers who have grown up have rallied around me since my diagnosis. What a kindness of God that we all found each other. They do it for me because they know I would do it for them.

Important Dates and Prayer requests:

March 25: PET SCAN and next Chemo– Please pray that my scans show what we think they will.

April 3: Meeting with local health system re: stem cell. – We are having to make some important decisions about my next phase of treatment. I would love to have some clarity about which program to move forward with that is the best fit for both for me and my family.

Thank you for being a part of my healing journey

Danielle