Dear Madeline,
It's been just over a year since your last chemotherapy session and the conclusion of your treatment protocol. The last 12 months have been quiet and, frankly, thank God! For all that you've endured, and for all the tears we've cried, to find you here today thriving is nothing short of a miracle.
Your port came out in October, we celebrated Thanksgiving (here in Maryland instead of our traditional celebration with our family in Michigan), and Christmas.... Oh, these were special days and Mom and I had a rich appreciation for them, and for you.
Mom and I made a pact to not let opportunities for important family time pass us by again. Mom and I spent some much needed alone time together one weekend last winter while you and Josie had heaps of fun with Grandma and Grandpa Smith. When we came back, we were set on booking a family vacation in the Spring at Deep Creek Lake in western Maryland. We even booked it and paid for it months in advance to make sure the chance didn't pass us by.
Months later, you and Josie were having a great time splashing about in the lake and roaming about the forest as we went to see some waterfalls. That Grandma and Grandpa Zukiewicz, Aunt Amy, Aunt Kari and Uncle Dave were able to join us made it all the more special. It had been such a long time since you were able to spend time with them! You gave us a little panic though. Your port site was very inflamed, and clearly infected. We had to lance the blister and clean you up a few times. Still you woke screaming one night and gave us a terror. You were burning up and could not be calmed. We were moments away from taking you to the ER... the very last thing we wanted to do while on vacation (and we were also concerned about what they might - or might not - want to do in light of your considerable medical history). God was good and you calmed down enough to get to sleep and your fever broke overnight. For the rest of the trip, it was like nothing had happened.
We celebrated your second birthday and had a kiddie pool party on the hottest day of the year. Not that you minded - you had a ball and lots of friends to party with.
We all endured the 12.5 hour drive to and from Michigan (each way!) to visit Grandma and Grandpa's house for the first time since... ever? We spent your first Thanksgiving at Aunt Kari and Uncle Dave's house, and then we took a day trip out to visit Aunt Amy... did we stop by Grandma and Grandpa's house? Well, at any rate, the time spent there was magical as well. You got to meet Aunt Ellie, Eileen and Art, Mark and Sherri, not to mention Rocky, Hunter, Max and Gigi, and you became well acquainted with majestic Lake Michigan and its beaches. You even rocked some Detroit Tigers swag to make your Grandpa proud.
Still, your port site remains inflamed and painful to the touch. Mom took you to be evaluated by your surgeon at Hopkins and he remarked right away that it looks very bad, and that he wanted to schedule you for some minor surgery to clean it all up. And so we wait for that to be scheduled. We know that we may still face some long-term challenges as you get older, and this one involving another surgery is just another one for the list. We know that this will have a good outcome for you though.
You're one tough chick, and you're growing up fast! You're walking, talking, getting motor skills down, and wrestling with Josie just about everyday it seems. You're just about ready for a toddler bed (actually, you are ready now, Daddy is just lazy) and you've even shown some early interest in the potty seat. You've lost none of the fight and feistiness that you displayed in those dark early days. I think the nice folks who run the playroom at the Y felt completely overrun when we first started bringing you by.
God is with you, Maddie, and we're so very, very blessed to see God's hand at work.
Love,
Daddy
