Today I embark on a new facit of this journey that began last July. Ten months ago my daughter was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. She had been the picture of health for 28 years. Towards the end of June she began having what the family believed was a terrible migraine. Her father and I finally encouraged her to go to the doctor.

She was determined to go to work on Wednesday, July 2. Her doctor was five blocks from her office. Despite this she called me to come downtown to take her to the doctors. The doctor speculated that she had a viral infection. Blood was drawn. With the holiday weekend starting the results from the blood tests would be done by Tuesday. The following morning at 9:15 the doctor called my daughter at home to tell her to get to the hospital at once. She needed to have a blood transfusion. The doctor called back quickly with a change of plan. He instructed me to take her to a hematology/oncologist for a bone marrow biopsy.

Her father and I took our very scared oldest daughter to the doctors. We were told that the situation was very "worrisome".

So everything changed in our family's life. My 11 year old son asked me if his big sister was going to die. I told him "no" with absolute faith that I was right. When the doctor was telling my husband and me the situation was "worrisome" I rationalized that he could have said the situation is "fatal" or "critical". I figured "worrisome" was not good but there was hope. I had no idea how life was going to change for the entire family.

My family consists of my husband of 30 years, my two daughters (ages 29 and 24) and my son who is 11. We all live in the same house with six cats.