"May 8, 2012"

"We interrupt regular programming for this brief but important message ..."

If you are a faithful blog follower, today's headline might sound familiar. Yes, it's a bit of "deja vu" because I used this exact same title one year ago today. It's a very significant day and an anniversary of sorts. It was 12 months ago that Dane began Interim Maintenance - the third phase of his treatment and the one that started his three year treatment clock ticking. It's very hard to believe an entire year has passed by and what seemed like an eternity - a 3.5 year treatment cycle - is now down to two years. It's still a long way to go but the end gets closer with every passing month. He has nearly completed 3/11 cycles in the long-term Maintenance phase and cycle 4 begins May 26/27. Each cycle last 84 days and is filled with lots of drugs, all of which he continues to handle really well.

So today we reflect on what he has survived, conquered and accomplished in the past sixteen months and look ahead to hopefully two years of "routine" treatment. Dane will be ten when he finishes and if you are a "gambler", you can bet on one-heck-of a celebration in May 2012!!

Good night ... Janie and Dirk