Cheer 4 Guinevere

09/03/2026

08/30/2026

We’re getting SO close. 🥹💛

Thursday was another BIG clinic day, and we got to check off a HUGE one:

🎉 Guinevere received her LAST IV chemotherapy!

I don’t think I’ll ever fully be able to explain what it feels like to say those words after everything she’s been through.

✔️ LAST spinal tap — DONE
✔️ LAST IV chemo — DONE
⏳ LAST steroid pulse — 3 doses left
⏳ LAST daily chemo — September 13
⏳ Port removal surgery — still to come
⏳ Weekend antibiotics — 3 months after treatment

She also started her FINAL 5 day steroid pulse🎉

The steroids are kicking her butt. 😵‍💫 These five days every 28 days have been HARD on her mood, her body, her sleep, her appetite… everything. Watching her go through the physical and emotional effects of steroids over and over again for the past year has been SO HARD!!

But she only has THREE doses left, and Monday night she’ll take her LAST steroid dose. Another box checked. ☑️

Thursday, the day room was completely empty. Just us, sitting in a room filled with chairs where we’ve spent so many days getting chemo and treatment.

I looked down that row of empty chairs and started tearing up, thinking Please let this be the last time we sit in this room for treatment.

We are SO ready for the chemo to be over. But there are so many emotions wrapped up in getting here.

September 13 will be the end of her physical treatment, but it’s not the end of appointments, bloodwork, immune-system checks, medications and recovery.

When we go back for her monthly appointment toward the end of September, Guinevere will have the opportunity to ring the bell. I let her make the decision about whether she wanted to, and she does. 🎗️🔔 🧡

It’s such a simple thing, but after everything she’s been through, letting her decide how she wants to mark the end of this chapter feels really important.

Now we get to start putting all the pieces back together.

Her body. Her immune system. Her strength. Her routines. Her life.

We’ve spent so long focused on getting her through treatment. Now we get to focus on helping her get back to being a kid. 💛

08/27/2026

What a great day!! Such amazing memories created ⚾

08/20/2026

Yay! She’s starting 3rd grade! 🎉📚💛

Last year, she started 2nd grade with her immunotherapy backpack by her side. This year, I’m just so incredibly thankful to see her walking into school with her regular backpack. 🎒🥹

She’s still in treatment for a few more weeks, but she’s feeling good, doing good, and we’re getting so close to the finish line.

Today, I’m just soaking in this moment and feeling incredibly grateful. 💛✨

07/30/2026

This morning, we are at the hospital.

And today is the day.

Today is Guinevere’s last spinal tap. 💛

Her treatment is NOT over yet. We still have some of this road left to walk. But today marks the end of something that has been a part of both of her cancer journeys.

I’ve honestly lost count of how many spinal taps she has had this time around. Between both treatment journeys, she has probably had somewhere between 25 and 30.

The last time we reached this milestone, we made T-shirts & boards. We made a whole event out of it. We celebrated because we thought we were finally at the end of something we NEVER wanted to be part of in the first place.

This time feels different.

We are absolutely, unbelievably happy. We are excited. We are grateful beyond words that she has made it to this point.

But we are celebrating a little quieter this time.

Because we've been here before.

Because we know what it feels like to think you've reached the end, only to find yourself back in the hospital, back in treatment, starting all over again. Even though deep down, I don't think we'll ever be back here again.

I hope I'm right.🙏🏼

I hope today is the last time my daughter ever has to be put through this. I hope we never again have to watch her be sedated, have a needle placed in her back, and endure something that has become far too familiar for an 8-year-old girl.

So today, there won't be T-shirts or big boards or a huge celebration. Just us. Sitting here taking it in feeling grateful & proud.

Feeling a little emotional about how much this girl has endured and how far she has come. Because this time, we don't need to make it a big event for it to be a huge deal.

It is a huge deal.

Today is her Final Spinal.

And God, I hope it really is the last one. Ever.

One more time, Guinevere. Just one more.

We love you more than you'll ever know. And we are so damn proud of you. 💛✨

Here's to the quiet celebrations. The ones that come after you've been through hell and realize you're finally, really, truly getting closer to the other side.

07/10/2026

We're home, and after just a little bit of Tylenol, she's feeling much better. ❤️ Thank you to everyone who checked in on us today.

We're also incredibly grateful for her care team. Every single time we're there, they go above and beyond. We never take for granted how well they care for our girl. 💛

Here you go Nicole Stec Torgerson 😂

07/10/2026

Clinic day for us today. 💛

We got the results from last week's labs, and Guinevere's IgG levels came back low, so she's at the clinic today getting an IVIG infusion to give her immune system a little extra support.

She was handling it well and then randomly started feeling pretty crummy with an upset tummy and a headache, which can happen during the infusion. We're hoping a little Tylenol does the trick and that she's feeling better soon.

We'd appreciate any extra prayers for an uneventful day and for this infusion to do its job. Thank you all for always thinking of our girl. 💛

07/03/2026

Yesterday, Guinevere had her monthly clinic visit, and we're happy to report her bloodwork looked great! 💛

One of the goals during maintenance therapy is to keep her immune system slightly suppressed to help prevent the leukemia from returning. Since she's grown, they increased the dosage of one of her chemotherapy medications because her ANC was around 4,000—an excellent, healthy number, but a little higher than the target range they aim for during maintenance.

She got to see some of her favorite she hasn't seen in a while, which is always so nice. So thankful for the amazing team at Advocate!!
She also received her IV chemo and started another round of steroids. For whatever reason, they kicked in about four hours after her first dose this time, so we're grateful it's a busy holiday weekend to help keep her mind occupied and help with the big emotions and restlessness that come along with it.

She's been soaking up summer and enjoying being a kid. She decided to take a break from piano for the season and has been having fun learning guitar instead. 🎸

Next visit is another big milestone, she'll have what should be her last procedure before the end of treatment. 🙏🏼 One day at a time, one step at a time... we're making our way there. Thank you all for continuing to pray, encourage, and cheer her on. 💛🎗️

06/05/2026

Clinic day! 💛🎗️

Today was a good day. Guinevere received her IV chemotherapy, and her labs came back looking good. Because her numbers are right where they need to be, we're cleared to return in one month.

We are always grateful for good appointments, good counts, and another step forward on this journey.

We're not exactly looking forward to the 5-day steroid pulse ahead of us, but we'll take the good with the bad and continue moving forward one day at a time.

Thank you to everyone who continues to keep Guinevere and our family in your thoughts and prayers. We appreciate your support more than you know. 💛

05/12/2026

We got a call from her doctor last week that Guinevere’s IGG levels had dropped again, so today meant another trip back to clinic for an IVIG infusion.

The prolonged immunosuppression chemo drugs she’s been on continue to suppress her immune system, which is why her IGG levels keep falling. We’re hopeful this gives her a little extra immune protection for summer.☀️

During the infusion, she started having some bone pain, especially in her hips and legs. Thankfully Tylenol helped, along with some mom massage therapy while we sat there 💛
She did get to do some pretty cool art while she was there though, which definitely helped pass the time.🎨

Home now and resting.