Thirteen in 6, 10 in 10 and 6 on the day. What do these all have in common you ask? Progress. We are making progress in Seattle, and that excites us more than ever in anticipation for our return to Michigan.

Dave is in his 14th day post CAR-T Cell therapy infusion. We have 14 more to go until we reach the 28th day for the bone marrow biopsy. The June 6 biopsy is just around the corner to determine the success of this clinical trial. When the research team asked if he wanted a voluntary biopsy around the mid-mark just for research, the answer was short and quick. “No.” After 8 painful biopsies, Dave did not want to go through the procedure unless it was mandatory.

Progress can be slow at times and hard to measure, but walking out of Seattle has always been at the top of the list. While in the hospital, Dave and I walked 13 miles in 6 days to complete the half-marathon. Today, we have walked over 6 miles. Progress.

Finally, and critical to Dave’s continued improvement, is gaining weight. He put on 10 pounds in 10 days. His appetite has improved, and I am coaxing him to eat more and snack all of the time. At night, I am always encouraging him to have Häagen Dazs for a snack because of the high calories. But, two nights ago he questioned, “Do I have to? Please don’t make me eat anymore.” Who says that? Dave did.

If all goes well tomorrow at the clinic, we will have a long weekend off. Dave’s counts have been solid – improvement on four continuous days – and he hasn’t required a transfusion in 11 days. This is definitely progress. We are halfway there. Fourteen days post CAR-T Cell infusion and 14 more to go.