We just returned from clinic -as anticipated, Oliver's counts have plummeted since last week.  He has no white blood cells, low hemoglobin/blood and is severely neutropenic requiring isolation restrictions.  He received a blood transfusion today along with the ARA-C chemo which he will also receive at home Tues-Thurs this week via his port.  We return to the clinic on Thursday to check his counts again, as we expect for him to need another transfusion by that time.  We know we are in the home stretch, this is the last week of extremely intense drugs although the side effects (transfusions, naseau, hair loss, etc) will linger for a couple of weeks.  Despite going through all of this, he remains happy and positive.  I never thought I would say this, we are actually looking forward to maintenance -where monthly clinic visits with IV chemo, pills at home and quarterly spinals seems like a walk in the park.  Oh, except the part that maintenance lasts for three years.  It is hard to remember what "normal" is even like.  It is very difficult to watch our son and the other children in the clinic endure these arduous treatments to remain cancer free.  And yet somehow they do with very little complaint and distinguished courage.  If only more people in the world were like these children.