From new Presidents to new employees, the 100 day mark is the unofficial standard for analyzing progress. Prior to the 100th day, there’s always the “I’m still new” excuse to hide behind. But on day 101, if you’re still putting your phone facedown on a copy machine because you think that is how screenshots are made, then it’s certainly fair game to say that you’re unremarkable – to put it nicely. Real judgement begins after day 100.

And that’s no different with Cathy’s ordeal. Her 100 day mark, post stem cell transplant, was last week, and that meant a scan to make sure everything remained clear. Unlike most “100 days” where you want to stand out and look unique and do something remarkable, she wanted to do the opposite. She just wanted to get through these 100 days without any setbacks. She wanted to look like everyone else. In essence, she wanted to be unremarkable. And so, we were thrilled when she picked up her PET scan results, and the report read, “Stable, unremarkable study.” In other words: “still in complete remission.”

Needless to say, we are all thrilled (understatment of the year). This is especially true considering the 100 day mark in stem cell transplants is typically the point in time when a patient is considered out of the woods. At this point her immune system has recovered enough to fight the ailments that she may come across. Her prognosis is great, and we were lucky enough to bring a new member of Cathy’s entourage to the doctor’s office to hear this good news first hand!

Hannah was able to sleep easy after hearing all about the “unremarkable” news!

Cathy has been transferred back to her original oncologist who will monitor her and likely put her on a maintenance drug once every three months or so for the foreseeable future. Luckily, this drug doesn’t come with any side effects and it has shown positive benefits in preventing relapse.

Happy holidays from all of us to all of you!