Phase 3 Has Begun.....

3AM HOME FROM ER VISIT - IT SNOWED IN ORINDA!!!

NEW ADDITION TO GOLDEN BEAR ROSTER!

JEROME RANDLE - JOHN RICKSEN - MIKE MONTGOMERY

JOHN AND CAROLINE

JOHN ATE THE ENTIRE CRAB!

OSKI, AUNT LINDA, JOHN AND CAROLINE - CAL VS. STANFORD

LAFAYETTE RESERVOIR PLAYGROUND

NEW YEARS EVE! 2010 IS GOING TO BE A GREAT YEAR

CHRISTMAS EVE - BRUZZONE & RICKSEN COUSINS

CORDEVALLE

I did it again....I took another month to post! I guess we have been busy. I decided to post a collection of photos from the past month to share how well John is doing.

We just finished Phase 2 of treatment and it went very well. We experienced one ER visit (John had a fever from the flu) and two blood transfusions. All of this was pretty straightforward and to be expected.

John has been busy spending time with family and friends. He continues to do well with his school work and seems to be on track with his 2nd grade class. He was able to go back and visit his class before the Holidays and bring his classmates a Christmas gift bag.

As usual, the boys kept busy with Cal basketball games. Head coach Mike Montgomery and starting point guard Jerome Randle presented John with his very own Cal jersey with his name on the back. This was such a treat for John. He wears it everywhere and every day. He sleeps in it at night and it apparently qualifies as formal wear. You will see above in pictures from Christmas Eve - the jersey is on.

John continues to remain active - shooting baskets daily, playing golf with Dad and Uncle Casey and walking the Lafayette Reservoir (2.7 miles)!

My parents came up to spend Christmas with our family. We loved having them up here to celebrate with us. They even babysat so Mike and I could get away on an overnight with our close friends. We enjoyed a wonderful 24 hour vacation - complete with hiking, relaxing, good food and lots of laughs (thanks Brian and Laura)!

John was admitted back to Childrens Hospital on Tuesday morning to start Phase 3 (Interim Maintenance). Mike and I have been anxious for this phase since it will require a lot of time back in the hospital, which is hard for everyone. John received his intrathecal chemo and a 24 hour infusion of high does methotrexate. He could not be released until it was all out of his system. The doctors said this could take anywhere from 3-5 days. We are happy to say that it only took John 3 days and we were released Friday (a day earlier than expected).

John seems to be tolerating it well and we hope to remain home until Wednesday, January 20th. We will have this treatment four times over the next sixty days, which means 16-20 of the next 60 days will be at Childrens Hospital. We know that Kerry has started a meal calendar for us to help with this more intense round of treatment and appreciate all of you who continue to support us in so many immeasurable ways!