Hi Friends!

Well, so much has happened since we created our Carelines page. First of all, WE GOT ENGAGED! Eric surprised me with a beautiful ring, and of course, I said YES!

Since then we have worked hard to stay positive. Eric has been in and out of the hospital, nearly missing Thanksgiving and missing New Year's Eve. He is super strong, but I know that being alone in the hospital feeling crummy is awful for him. He went through two cycles of chemotherapy since then and also had to deal with a few infections. That being said, we are both grateful for the time we have together, and grateful for the doctors and nurses who help him stay out of the hospital as much as they can.

In other positive news, Eric was finally approved and healthy enough to participate in a clinical trial. After a difficult, tiring, and painful week of tests, blood draws, and biopsies, Eric and I set forth to the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. We drove there over two days with a stop for the night in Pittsburgh. Although the journey was long and we were nervous about the trial, we both approached the trip as a mini-adventure. We arrived at the NIH last monday, January 18th. 

Eric is participating in a promising yet unproved study that aims to modify his body's response to the leukemia. We are so happy to be at the NIH. All of the staff, nurses, and doctors here take very good care of Eric. While here we are staying on the NIH campus, provided at no cost to us through grants and federal money. We are comfortable, safe, and close to the hospital. 

Wish Eric luck as he prepares for the procedures designed to cure his cancer. We will be here for 2 months, at least, and would appreciate all of your thoughts, prayers, and, if possible, your donations to keep Eric feeling loved and cared for. 

I will post another journal entry soon!

Hugs

Erin and Eric