There was fanfare. There was ballyhoo. It was our own undertaking of “Make a Wish” … sort of. Last weekend, Jordan, Jeanette and I indulged in a Manhattan retreat while Luc happily slept over with friends. The trip was planned for more than a year. Under normal circumstances, it would have just been me and Jordan. I often bring one of the kids along on my business travels. They enjoy spending the time alone with me and it’s usually easy to book a sitter in my regular travel circuit.

Exhaustion got the best of her. Two days at the hospital in the same week. The pace of treatment and logistics and unknowing sapped all her energy. When the alarm sounded at 6am, nearly five minutes passed before Jeanette slapped the snooze. I was away, and my wife was tired. Luc woke before dawn. The act of waking early makes him proud. He climbed down from his bunk and dressed as the sun peaked over the San Gabriels to the east.

Jordan has been given the week off from school so that her immune system can recover without worrying about the pesky viruses school mates like to pass around. She received a transfusion yesterday–apparently my blood passed the muster. She seems to be doing well, taking naps throughout the day.

Her counts hit the danger zone, as expected. Hemoglobin and white cells are down – so far down that she had to skip chemo this week and she’s not allowed to return to school until her immune system recovers. She has to wear a mask when she leaves the house. Wednesday, she goes back to CHLA for a blood transfusion (my blood was still at the lab today), which will hopefully give her system a boost and restore her energy.

Update – Jordan did not need a transfusion today, but she will probably need one next week. I am contributing a pint today, which will be ready for her use when she goes in next for labs. Many of you responded to my last email. Thank you. We are putting a schedule together for blood banking. It’s a perishable substance and you can only give once every 55 days. Since it is unlikely she will need blood every week, we’re going to put a grid together and if we find ourselves short, we’ll let you know.