Day One Hundred Ninety-One: March 15, 2010

Dearest Friends and Family -
It’s the end of a long day that started in Portland and included the long-awaited follow up consult for Reid with his leukemic doctor at Oregon Health Sciences University.

It’s been one hell of a long haul since September 3, 2009. One hundred ninety-one days, five courses of chemotherapy, hundreds of road miles, thousands of tears, millions of prayers, and so very many of you who have stepped forward in so many ways  - over and over - to love and support Reid, his sisters and our family. It’s been a math equation that has included variables like sorrow, hope, courage and connection, and the present sum - Love -  is incalculable.

The news: Reid is in complete remission, and he has been encouraged to resume his life. Today this amazingly strong young man, of whom we are all so tremendously proud, graduated from being a cancer patient to being a cancer SURVIVOR!

Are there details? Of course. He will be more tired for a while and will need six or so months to completely recover his strength; he will have regular lab work as well as follow up visits with the folks at OHSU. We were told that Reid has made it over a major hurdle, handled his treatments exceptionally well and is truly in great shape. The longer Reid remains in remission, the lower the risk of a relapse;  so, while Reid is still on a journey of unknowns, this is the very best place Reid can be in at this point in time.

Please celebrate! Not just for Reid, but for yourselves, the way each of you have shown up with generous hearts full of hope, and the love that helps keep us in faith and inspires more prayers.

And please honor too, those whom we have lost to cancer and all those who intrepidly continue learning how to survive and live fully in each moment.

With bursting heart, I believe -
all will be well.
~ Martha

(Photo taken a week ago.
Clowning around and playing "dress up" for Oscar Night,
and Reid consented to being his mom's escort.
How's that for a nice son?)