Nicest Word - BMT +38

"Home is the nicest word there is."

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Sam has been doing quite well out of the hospital. Just as we'd hoped, he's eating and drinking, hanging out with his family and enjoying the fresh air. 

Sam is certainly not done with treatments. Today he received an immunoglobulin treatment (IVIG) to bolster his immune system levels. But his hemoglobin is holding steady and today is platelets were within the Normal Range. Read that again, ok? Normal Range. 

(Sleeping off the benadryl that accompanies the IVIG treatment)

There have been a few issues here that have led Dr M to tell us that it is time to

GO HOME. 

Yep. You can read that one again too!

We had always planned to be in Milwaukee until Thanksgivukkah. So we are feeling a little shell-shocked but in a good way!

Because we are not just talking about home as a vague-future-concept. 

We are going home TOMORROW. 

(Do you need to read that one again, too?)

Logistics will be figured out. He will need to be seen in Milwaukee at least twice a week. Sam is still under "lock and key" as far as crowds and germs go. But since the kids were in school here, they can keep it up. They are over-the-moon excited to go back to their home schools....

Which doesn't mean that we aren't sad to go. Ronald McDonald House has been an incredible home for us for the last 90 days. The staff and volunteers and other parents and kids have made a warm and wonderful place for us. The Milwaukee community as a whole should be very proud of the support given to this amazing place. We do not plan to leave RonMac behind and we plan to find ways to bring our support to bear on this institution in the future. 

And the JCC and MJDS communities -- my children have been cared for and educated and LOVED. My heart swells with pride at the way this amazing Jewish community has come together to help care for our family. This is how it should be -- and we are so beyond grateful. Thank you. 

For now, we are packing and preparing to spend our last Shabbat in Milwaukee -- we hope forever as semi-permanent residents. (We can come to visit, even for Shabbat!) 

We are not under any delusions that this is going to be easy...but we are trying to be prepared for this new stage in Sam's treatment and in our family's life. We have learned that we can't put joy on hold for even a moment. So we will celebrate every milestone and remember every bit of it -- good and bad. 

And thank you all for being with us every step of the way.