The beginning

Well, I have decided to start a blog of Maggie's healing process. We have had many people suggest this and after thoughtful consideration, I've decided perhaps this is the easiest for all to communicate.

I'd like to start at the beginning explaining how we got to where we are today. We aren't sure the exact date, but sometime in early May, we found a red spot on Maggie's head. We didn't think much of it, but it eventually grew larger and another bump appeared. After the two bumps were there for several weeks, we decided to go to the pediatrician. On June 2, Andy took her to the doctor and was told that they looked like mosquito bites and that they didn't look at all suspicious. She said that at Maggie's 9 month check-up if they weren't gone, she'd look further into it. As the month went on, more spots appeared on her head. After talking to a colleague, she suggested seeing a dermatologist. We did so and he scheduled a biopsy ten days later. However, in the days leading to the scheduled biopsy, the spots began to spread on her scalp and a few appeared on her lower back. With our concern growing, we contacted the dermatologist and pediatrician and the biopsy was immediately moved to that afternoon. The original bump was biopsied, and by this time, the spots were no longer pink, but a brownish purple color. The dermatologist told us that it would be 5 days or so before he had results, but he suspected lymphoma, or possibly leukemia--not at all what we were expecting him to say--certainly not the way he delivered it. There was virtually no mention of any potential cause other than cancer. We were floored...and had to sit and wait for results.

The biopsy was on a Friday afternoon, and by noon on Monday there were preliminary results--some kind of abnormal lymphocite activity. Within a few hours Andy took Maggie to the pediatrician, an urgent care (for bloodwork), back to the pediatrician, and was on his way to Dayton Children's Medical Center with news that Maggie's White Blood Count was 44,000--there was an oncologist waiting to talk to us about a probable diagnosis of Leukemia. Whitney joined us from work just in time to talk to the nurse and doctor and to begin a journey that we never expected to travel.

We were admitted right away, Monday, June 30, 2008. Dr. French, Maggie's primary doctor, presumed it was Leukemia, but needed a few more days to get the final diagnosis pinned: Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. Treatment options were quickly discussed before initiating treatment on Thursday, July 3 at Dayton Children's Medical Center. Formal Chemotherapy started soon thereafter and her two year treatment protocol was underway.