Our doctor agreed to let us take a week off from treatment in mid-July so that we could take a family vacation. We quickly arranged a trip Hawaii, our first as a family. We stayed in a condo on Maui ("better than home" according to Elana) and had a wonderful time. We snorkled, rode in a submarine, saw a Cirque de Soleil- type show on the history of Maui and attended our first--and last--Luau. The girls learned to make leis and dance the Hula. They even had a first tennis lesson at which they both decided that they were "naturals" for the sport. The girls and Bob swam a lot and we all enjoyed the ice cream, icees, and umbrella drinks. One day, while the girls went to camp at a Westin next door, Bob and Mimi snuck away for sea kayaking and a romantic lunch.
Although it was a great trip, it was not without anxiety for Mimi. Two days before our departure, for the first time in 12 weeks of chemotherapy, Mimi's white blood cell count (which is important to be able to fight infections) dropped to an extremely low level. At that level, patients are usually told to minimize the risk of infection by avoiding crowds. Nonetheless, our doctors advised us to go. Mimi went through tons of Purell (we ought to buy stock!) and did well despite a bladder infection, a cut toe and the usual sniffles and sneezes from the kids. For the first few days Mimi's migraines were triggered easily (as they had been throughout chemotherapy) by loud noise and whining children. But thankfully this eased with each passing day. On our last day, as you can see below, a vibrant rainbow appeared outside our balcony!
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