Jordan leapt forward with great progress this week. Her dressing was removed today and the surgical area is healing perfectly. Her mood is good and she’s regained much of her physical and cognitive abilities. She’s scheduled to start chemotherapy next week. In the meantime, her doctors have given the “all clear” to return to school and normal activity. It’s been a very good week. A la David Letterman, following are the top 10 reasons we know Jordan is getting better.

At age 14 Sylvia Plath wrote, “How frail the human heart must be – a mirrored pool of thought.” Years ago when I read this I thought it a deep sentiment for an adolescent. Watching Jordan struggle with her own mirrored pool of thought this week, the poem found new meaning. Physically, Jordan is recovering well. She adeptly moves around the house, only occasionally needing to balance herself. She appears to have less visual impairment.

I am very superstitious. Truth. I cross my fingers, knock on wood and stay quiet in winning streaks. When I’m writing a new piece of fiction, I never discuss it with anyone for fear that the idea will be jinxed. So forgive me for prefacing this journal entry with a disclaimer: it is still early and our family is learning to take one day at a time. That said, Jordan is showing signs of improvement.

Cancer. Finally, they said it. Strangely, it was a relief. There were no more ambiguous references. No pregnant pauses. Just the word. Cancer. We expected to hear the word, though it never before entered conversations with the physicians. Today the word became part of the dialogue. Our daughter has cancer. Technically, she is diagnosed with low grade glioma in the form of leptomeningeal astrocytoma.Her prognosis is good. Dr. Finlay likened her condition to a chronic illness, abstractly analogous to asthma.

She’s had a very good morning. She slept well. She woke up smiling. She had no trouble standing on her own. She asked to go play. She ate a full breakfast and asked me to bring her tea this afternoon. We laughed as we pinched mommy and we joked about how clumsy I am. The neurosurgeons paid a visit early in the morning, and we were very glad to see Dr.