Bach, Beethoven - Amateurs!

Dani went to Dr. Tricot's native land this past week, and said she saw the prettiest town she has ever seen - Brugge, Belgium. She also raved about the food. She will be disappointed by the bland fare she receives when she gets home in a month.

Josh, Alexis and Kyle are getting ready for basketball tryouts, and Alexis is LOVING being involved in "The Wizard of OZ." Great theatre and chorus teachers here. Josh is loving AP Spanish, and is getting better and better with the language. Kyle misses Jarah, our dog. So do I, but it sounds like she is loved where she is. Thanks, Lael and Jeff.

Last week Blaine went through restaging - Bone Marrow biopsy, Pet Scan, etc. At today's follow-up and preparation for stem-cell transplant #2, we learned that Blaine's cancer's level of aggressiveness is probably exhibited in only about 3-4% of Multiple Myeloma patients. Since Dr. Tricot has been using this protocol since 1989, he has case histories to draw from. So if he has treated 5,000 MM patients over the past 20 years, then he has seen at least 175 cases like Blaine's. He knows what he's doing.

We have heard a lot of good music in our lifetimes, especially me. As a music student and as a musician, I've heard live performances from world class musicians ranging from the Boston and Toronto Symphonies, the King Singers, Metropolitan Opera and Chicago Lyric Company singers, amazing Jazz ensembles, and lets not forget, the famed Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Include this with the performances I have participated in with some of those same musicians, and I've got some very sweet musical memories to draw from. But today surpassed them all. The sweetest melody ever came from Dr. Tricot as he said that there was "no evidence of disease," (though there are left-over effects of disease) and he also said that he was "likely in complete remission." I cried. Blaine came mighty close. I gave Dr. Tricot what for him I am sure was an uncomfortable hug. I don't care. He got one anyway.

So we move forward to wipe out any last cancer cells that can be unearthed in his body. Things look very good right now. He still has to go through round 2, which by all accounts is rougher than round one, and a year of maintenance chemo, but for the moment, we are sailing. Surprise, he can't WAIT to get back to work!