I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia on February 11th, 2005, 6 days before my 4th birthday. It was a bit of a shock for everybody, but I didn't really know what all the fuss was about. I still don't, really, although I know I am still having medicine every day. I also have a Hickman line so that the nurse can take blood every Tuesday (she comes to school), and I get medicine put into it too, although not as often as it used to be.

I have a sister called Isla, who is a year older than me and she always looks after me. Sometimes we argue a lot, especially when I am taking my 'grumpy' medicine, but she is the best sister in the whole world, and we do everything together. You'll see photos of her in the gallery.

I had my 4th birthday in hospital, and I had my 5th birthday in hospital too! But I have just had my 6th birthday, and I was NOT in hospital YIPPEEE! So we had a party in the village hall with my school friends. And hopefully on my 7th birthday, I might not have leukaemia at all. Which is weird, because I can't remember not having leukaemia. Well, I can remember that I used to go swimming, which I haven't been allowed to do since I became poorly, but that's all.

The medicines I take now, on the 'maintenance' phase of my treatment, are:

mercaptopurine	oral chemo, daily
methotrexate	oral chemo, weekly
vincristine	IV chemo, 4-weekly
methotrexate	IT(intra-thecal) chemo, 3-monthly
dexamethasone	oral steroid, 5 days per 4 weeks (grumpy medicine!)
cotrimoxazole	oral anitbiotic, 2 days per week

My treatment is scheduled to end in August 2007, assuming I remain in remission. Then I have to wait for 5 years from my initial remission (which was end March 2005), and if the leukaemia still doesn't come back, they will say I am not poorly any more. So, if get to my 9th birthday and it hasn't come back, then I am nearly in the clear. (I can't imagine being 9!)