Bell Day

Dear Madeline,

"She's no cheap date." That's what the anesthesiologists said about you after they brought you out from one of your radiation treatments. What they meant was that they needed to give you more anesthesia than they expected in order to keep you asleep during the treatment.

Today you received your final radiation treatment. It's a significant milestone in your recovery. When the nurse carried you back out to us in her arms, our first thought was that something had gone wrong. But when we saw her smiling, and when we saw you awake and alert, my second thought was "I guess those anesthesiologists were right!" The nurse told us that you started waking up almost as soon as the treatment was done. (The radiology nurses need to start unhooking all the wires and lines as soon as their patients start waking up, at least their little patients anyway.) I think you were more eager than even your Mom and I to get out of there and get home.

Mom fed you after your final night of fasting and when you were done, we went straight for the end-of-treatment bell. I won't forget this ever. I held you in my arms as you played with the mallet. The crowd that grew around us - other cancer patients, parents, nurses, doctors, technicians and more - was all smiles, and you gave it right back to them. You were just beaming, giddy with your little baby laughter. And then I helped you ring the bell. How that crowd cheered for you, Maddie! And your face lit up like a Christmas tree. I should have expected the calls for an encore from the crowd, but I didn't. You were more than happy to accommodate anyway, and we rang the bell again to a standing ovation. It was in that moment, I think, that I had a true sense that you were going to be okay.

We're nowhere near the end of your recovery, Sweet Pea, but this is a day to savor. Tomorrow, we move on to another hospital clinic appointment and more chemotherapy, and there will be many more days like tomorrow. For now, we celebrate the victories along the way.

Love,
   Daddy