Friday we went back to the clinic for blood work and with it being Day 5 of steroids, we were in a full blown hormonal storm. After an hour of coaxing Nathan to go into the nurse's room to be accessed I called Arron. Nathan was having nothing to do with being at the clinic and I was the meanest person in the world for having brought him there. The thought of going to school for a Valentine party and an afternoon of Olympic fun didn't even bring a smile to Nathan's face. And as quickly as the storm came, the storm passed. He forgot all about the clinic as soon as he walked into the class room as he showed a grin from ear to ear. Then later in the evening the tears came when he was telling us the reason he didn't want to be at the clinic was because he was too excited about going away for the weekend. (Go figure.) We made it through another week of those blasted steroids. Watching the impact on his psychological being is harder than watching him with the chemotherapy drugs.
But that being said, his WBC went from Mondays blood work of 1.64 to3.39, platelets of 29 to 150, neutrophils of .71 to 2.37 and hemoglobin from 122 to 109. We headed up to Carrot River Friday night and enjoyed an evening at Julianne & Rodney's. The father of a good friend of ours passed away last Tuesday and Arron was pall bearer Saturday afternoon. The boys enjoyed time with Auntie Wendy, Uncle Lyle, and Nick while we were at the funeral. 3 hours of road hockey and muffins as a snack made the kids day. Justin asked what road hockey was and Nathan was concerned about traffic but after we explained it was allowed they were excited to play on the street. Justin was happy to report that evening that he had made a new friend as the neighbors son and nephews joined the kids in their game. Carter quite enjoyed the game. Evening was spent with all three sisters and family and had an enjoyable visit followed by the kids enjoying their ping pong table and watching out for Sadie as she tried to get to the ball before they did.
Since the weather had warmed up we headed out to the cabin Sunday and had an enjoyable day of fishing and toboganning. It seemed to take forever to get the cabin to warm up but by the time we were ready to head home yesterday we finally got it to a balmy 23 degrees. Justin is at the stage where he is so grateful for everything. He found toboganning to be "awesome" and asked every time he climbed the hill if he could do it again. And Monday, he was so happy to be at the cabin he said to Arron and I "thanks for bringing me to this place". And he is only 3. Later that day both Carter and Nathan agreed that they wished they could stay longer and that they could tobogan every day but alas a trip to the Cancer Clinic was needed for blood work the next morning.
Arron took the week off to be home with the boys so started the day with a longer than expected trip to the clinic for blood work to determine pill doses. Nathan was very co-operative today. Counts were all comparable to Friday's blood work so started on half doses of his pills today for a two week period. After this a trip to the mall for mini-golf and groceries followed by lunch and play dates for Carter and Nathan and a nap for Justin, the boys rounded out the day with an evening spent on the hockey rink with Arron, our 3 boys and a neighbor boy and his friend having a friendly game of scrimmage. Arron did a great job on the rink this year and the boys have really enjoyed being out there. Carter even volunteered to go out earlier today to do his "homework" his coach had instructed the kids to do. Today was by far the best mood Nathan was in since Friday and a lot more cooperative but it will take a couple more days to get a steady mood back.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
Maintenance Day 85
Happy New Year! Its time for a post! Life has been busy with the kids settling into regular routines of school, music, hockey, home work and having friends over so we have been busy.
We have made it through the first 3 month phase of Maintenance and started another round. Essentially Nathan's treatment plan is planned for a 3 month period and then we repeat it over and over again. Nathan is doing well. His hair is growing back nicely although I can't quite decipher the color. He was our blond boy before he got sick and now his hair is not sure if it wants to be dark or light. Guess maybe the summer sun will help it out when we get there.
After not being at the clinic for 4 weeks, both Nathan and I were apprehensive about returning. Today was the lumbar puncture with Intrathecal Methotrexate. Nathan wasn't happy about not being able to eat or drink but was the only one scheduled for today so was in by 9:15am and he did very well. The good news was that procedure went well. The disappointing news was that the chemotherapy pills Nathan takes daily had wiped out his plateletes and his platelete levels were at 29, with neutrophils of only .71. With the plateletes being so low, Dr Ali put orders in for a platelete transfusion except there wasn't any at the hospital. So to make the most of a long day, Nathan and I picked Arron up for lunch which was a nice outing. We returned shortly after 1pm and by 1:45pm the plateletes had arrived from another location. All went well and Nathan received them well. We were home by 3:30pm, in time for me to switch boys and take Carter to his hockey game. It was a great game! Carter had some great plays and scored his second goal of the year (his first was on Friday and Arron saw that one but I didn't) so was great to see. They lost 3 to 2 so was a very close game.
Since Nathan's counts were so low, all chemotherapy pills are held for the week. He is one steroids for another 5 days starting today. Lovely little pills those are. Arron and I know what to expect - hungry, emotional boy at the start followed by anxious, not sleeping, over stimulated boy who one minute will be smiling and happy and then next is crying. So each Saturday following the 5 days of steroids, Arron and I are glad the last pill has been administered and wait for the come down. We will return to the clinic Friday morning for blood work and again on Tuesday just to see where he is at. At least these are in and out visits with no wait for blood work or pharmacy. With plateletes being low and the inability to clot, one would think we would seeing bruising with Nathan but we never do. The symptoms that we can look back now on and see are increased tiredness (although if you ask him if he is tired the answer is always no !), loose stomach and this time around on Sat we noticed Nathan had a bruise on his tongue, right in the middle. That was an odd one.
Althought the weather was a balmy -19 Arron, Justin, Carter and his friend headed out to play hockey on the rink tonight. Nathan did not participate for obvious reasons so worked on extra phonic sheets with me instead. He has improved greatly with his reading and identification of words. His attitude towards the school work has improved as well which has been great to see.
With the kids break approaching we aren't sure what we will be doing. Thought we would know today but guess Friday will be a better indicator both for weather and for blood work.
We have made it through the first 3 month phase of Maintenance and started another round. Essentially Nathan's treatment plan is planned for a 3 month period and then we repeat it over and over again. Nathan is doing well. His hair is growing back nicely although I can't quite decipher the color. He was our blond boy before he got sick and now his hair is not sure if it wants to be dark or light. Guess maybe the summer sun will help it out when we get there.
After not being at the clinic for 4 weeks, both Nathan and I were apprehensive about returning. Today was the lumbar puncture with Intrathecal Methotrexate. Nathan wasn't happy about not being able to eat or drink but was the only one scheduled for today so was in by 9:15am and he did very well. The good news was that procedure went well. The disappointing news was that the chemotherapy pills Nathan takes daily had wiped out his plateletes and his platelete levels were at 29, with neutrophils of only .71. With the plateletes being so low, Dr Ali put orders in for a platelete transfusion except there wasn't any at the hospital. So to make the most of a long day, Nathan and I picked Arron up for lunch which was a nice outing. We returned shortly after 1pm and by 1:45pm the plateletes had arrived from another location. All went well and Nathan received them well. We were home by 3:30pm, in time for me to switch boys and take Carter to his hockey game. It was a great game! Carter had some great plays and scored his second goal of the year (his first was on Friday and Arron saw that one but I didn't) so was great to see. They lost 3 to 2 so was a very close game.
Since Nathan's counts were so low, all chemotherapy pills are held for the week. He is one steroids for another 5 days starting today. Lovely little pills those are. Arron and I know what to expect - hungry, emotional boy at the start followed by anxious, not sleeping, over stimulated boy who one minute will be smiling and happy and then next is crying. So each Saturday following the 5 days of steroids, Arron and I are glad the last pill has been administered and wait for the come down. We will return to the clinic Friday morning for blood work and again on Tuesday just to see where he is at. At least these are in and out visits with no wait for blood work or pharmacy. With plateletes being low and the inability to clot, one would think we would seeing bruising with Nathan but we never do. The symptoms that we can look back now on and see are increased tiredness (although if you ask him if he is tired the answer is always no !), loose stomach and this time around on Sat we noticed Nathan had a bruise on his tongue, right in the middle. That was an odd one.
Althought the weather was a balmy -19 Arron, Justin, Carter and his friend headed out to play hockey on the rink tonight. Nathan did not participate for obvious reasons so worked on extra phonic sheets with me instead. He has improved greatly with his reading and identification of words. His attitude towards the school work has improved as well which has been great to see.
With the kids break approaching we aren't sure what we will be doing. Thought we would know today but guess Friday will be a better indicator both for weather and for blood work.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Maintenance Day 34
Its been a long time since the last blog so will try and keep things brief. Hopefully our time away from the blog is an indicator our time has been adjusted to living life again.
Nathan has had a month of going to school and is adjusting. Every day has its trials and tribulations but he is progressing which is the main thing. He has also gotten back into hockey and music. Our last visit to the clinic was Dec 14 and although his neutrophils were good, his platelettes were only 47. Nathan was taken off of his chemo drugs for the week and he didn't play any sports this week. We will go again to the clinic on Monday to see where his counts are at.
Carter and Nathan had their Christmas school performance on Tuesday night. Roughly 320 kids on and off the stage and they did amazing. Carter says he doesn't like to sing but does so well at it. Nathan was tired but still managed to get on stage and participate so we were happy to see him up there. Carter also had his piano recital Friday night and did very well. It amazes me how they don't mind getting up on stage.
I have been busy shopping and wrapping while Arron has been busy making the skating rink in the back yard. He tried to level out the area where the rink was going and he got it close but it is taking a lot of effort to flood it.
The kids are excited for Christmas and we are busy with preparations. Hopefully one more solid day tomorrow and we should be able to enjoy next week. We will have a nice break before the start of the new year brings my return to work full time with days off for Nathan's clinic visits.
Nathan has had a month of going to school and is adjusting. Every day has its trials and tribulations but he is progressing which is the main thing. He has also gotten back into hockey and music. Our last visit to the clinic was Dec 14 and although his neutrophils were good, his platelettes were only 47. Nathan was taken off of his chemo drugs for the week and he didn't play any sports this week. We will go again to the clinic on Monday to see where his counts are at.
Carter and Nathan had their Christmas school performance on Tuesday night. Roughly 320 kids on and off the stage and they did amazing. Carter says he doesn't like to sing but does so well at it. Nathan was tired but still managed to get on stage and participate so we were happy to see him up there. Carter also had his piano recital Friday night and did very well. It amazes me how they don't mind getting up on stage.
I have been busy shopping and wrapping while Arron has been busy making the skating rink in the back yard. He tried to level out the area where the rink was going and he got it close but it is taking a lot of effort to flood it.
The kids are excited for Christmas and we are busy with preparations. Hopefully one more solid day tomorrow and we should be able to enjoy next week. We will have a nice break before the start of the new year brings my return to work full time with days off for Nathan's clinic visits.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Maintenance Day 6
It feels like its been a long week....
Carter had surgery yesterday and he did so well. He was nervous about the procedure but was very mature about the entire situation. We arrived at the hospital around noon and by 2:45pm he was in with the Dr for repair of the hernia. His doctor confirmed that he had an inguinal hernia and would have had it from birth. When the testes descended the passage didn't completely close leaving a small hole that was allowing fluid to pass. The dr indicated that quite often it goes undetected until teenage years when a sport injury causing a larger hernia resulting in emergency surgery. Carter handled the anestia well and woke good. he was really sleepy though. We were home around 6pm.
Today Carter moved slowly and carefully but wasn't in any discomfort. So we will see how tomorrow goes before determining when he will go back to school.
Nathan had a week of adjusting. Since his counts were high enough he went to school Wed and Thursday morning and then all day Friday. Its hard going back after being gone. His friends are there but there is not routine to go out with them for recess so that left Nathan disappointed. Time will fix that. He also had a teacher come twice last week, an hour each time to try and get him caught up. It was cute tonight as he asked if tomorrow was a school day but I said no. So he asked if we could make it a school day at home. He would like to get caught up so that he can get back on chart again. I wonder where he heard that line from!
Today was the last dose of the steroid for 3 more weeks. Man that throws Nathan all over the board emotionally. He was flying high today though and was determined he wasn't going to hockey. I convinced him he should try and when we got there, comedian Nathan appeared. He had the kids in the dressing room in stiches. 3 times dressed and 3 times to the bathroom. I had to take his skates off once as they were on too long. And then standing and waiting to go on the ice, I over heard another parent say her younger son was sick with the Chicken pox. The older son plays with Nathan and the younger boy there at hockey and was in the dressing room when Nathan and the other kids were getting dressed. So how close of contact does one need to be to be at risk of getting the virus? The concern with a compromised immune system is inability to fight it. So the clinic has said if in contact with someone with the virus Nathan would need a special shot in order to help his immune system. I don't know the stage other than was still blistering and was really itchy. And what is the definition of in contact. The boys were at least 10 feet apart. But then tonight I had a thought - the mom brought the jerseys so can the virus transfer to clothing? So Monday I will need to call the clinic to find out if we need to do anything. Frustrating to say the least.
Tomorrow will be a quiet day - cleaning and hopefully get some decorating done. The outside is done and hope to start working on the inside. We are looking forward to enjoying the season's traditions this year and hoping for a little normalcy.
Carter had surgery yesterday and he did so well. He was nervous about the procedure but was very mature about the entire situation. We arrived at the hospital around noon and by 2:45pm he was in with the Dr for repair of the hernia. His doctor confirmed that he had an inguinal hernia and would have had it from birth. When the testes descended the passage didn't completely close leaving a small hole that was allowing fluid to pass. The dr indicated that quite often it goes undetected until teenage years when a sport injury causing a larger hernia resulting in emergency surgery. Carter handled the anestia well and woke good. he was really sleepy though. We were home around 6pm.
Today Carter moved slowly and carefully but wasn't in any discomfort. So we will see how tomorrow goes before determining when he will go back to school.
Nathan had a week of adjusting. Since his counts were high enough he went to school Wed and Thursday morning and then all day Friday. Its hard going back after being gone. His friends are there but there is not routine to go out with them for recess so that left Nathan disappointed. Time will fix that. He also had a teacher come twice last week, an hour each time to try and get him caught up. It was cute tonight as he asked if tomorrow was a school day but I said no. So he asked if we could make it a school day at home. He would like to get caught up so that he can get back on chart again. I wonder where he heard that line from!
Today was the last dose of the steroid for 3 more weeks. Man that throws Nathan all over the board emotionally. He was flying high today though and was determined he wasn't going to hockey. I convinced him he should try and when we got there, comedian Nathan appeared. He had the kids in the dressing room in stiches. 3 times dressed and 3 times to the bathroom. I had to take his skates off once as they were on too long. And then standing and waiting to go on the ice, I over heard another parent say her younger son was sick with the Chicken pox. The older son plays with Nathan and the younger boy there at hockey and was in the dressing room when Nathan and the other kids were getting dressed. So how close of contact does one need to be to be at risk of getting the virus? The concern with a compromised immune system is inability to fight it. So the clinic has said if in contact with someone with the virus Nathan would need a special shot in order to help his immune system. I don't know the stage other than was still blistering and was really itchy. And what is the definition of in contact. The boys were at least 10 feet apart. But then tonight I had a thought - the mom brought the jerseys so can the virus transfer to clothing? So Monday I will need to call the clinic to find out if we need to do anything. Frustrating to say the least.
Tomorrow will be a quiet day - cleaning and hopefully get some decorating done. The outside is done and hope to start working on the inside. We are looking forward to enjoying the season's traditions this year and hoping for a little normalcy.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Maintenance Day 1
The Maintenance phase is finally here. Where did the year go. The memories of Nathan's diagnosis is fresh and seems like yesterday when we started down this road.
4 days off from all medications proved a wonder to Nathan's body as his neutrophils bounced up to 1.22 - high enough to start the Maintenance phase of treatment. Maintenance is supposed to be the easiest of all the phases but it is the longest. Starting today it will take Nathan to March 9, 2012 or more exact, today is day 1 of 845 days of preventative treatment.
The cycle is 85 days and we just keep repeating the 85 days until the end of treatment. So 5 days at the start of every 28 days, Nathan will have Dexamethasone (steroid) for 5 days. Every day before bed he will have Mecaptopurine or 6MP. This one will take some time to get used to administering as it needs to be one hour before eating or 2-3 hours after eating. A new label says no milk products in the 2-3 hour window. We will need clarification on that one as no milk before bed for 2 plus years isn't going to happen. Once a week starting next Monday, Nathan will have Methotrexate by pill before bed. This drug made us chuckle as one dose is 7 tiny pills. When we asked the pharmacist why it didn't come in a bigger pill, Nathan's response was "no problem, I can take 7 pills at once". The pharmacist's response was this drug is the one that knocks the white blood cells so quite often the dosage is changed and rather than throwing out pills, you can simply remove a couple if need be.
Although this is new and we were expecting to go for blood work in a week or two just to see where Nathans white blood cell count is at, we are not to go in until December so every 4 weeks unless at that time his counts are low. So that is the news on Nathan.
Carter is not feeling well. I am not sure if he is in the less than 10% category that has side effects from flu vaccinations or if it is just a coincidence. Thursday evening was his vaccination. Friday he was feeling well but looked very pale. Saturday he had extreme fatigue and by Sunday afternoon he put himself for a nap as he wasn't feeling well. 2 hours later with me waking him up, he woke with a fever, chills and body aches. He slep a full night Sunday and woke this morning with a slight fever. While we were at the clinic, he wasn't able to keep water down in the morning but settled his stomach by noon. The remainder of the day was resting. The temperature returned in late afternoon and after supper he again put himself to bed. When I say after supper I mean 6:30pm. One thing I admire about Carter is that when he isn't feeling well, he knows to sleep. So sleeping he is.
With everything going on, I managed to slip away this afternoon to the Prairie Land H1N1 vaccination clinic. I was told by the Counsellor at the Cancer Clinic that our request was heard and that although it wasn't advertised, care givers of children receiving chemotherapy who could not themselves receive the vaccine were now eligible to receive it. So I thought I would try again. I was asked if I had an underlying health problem and I said no and explained the situation and low and behold they said "oh, yes, you are a primary caregiver and you qualify". 3 times a charm! My arm hurt for a while but I made sure to move it around. I am expecting stiffness tomorrow and hopefully that will be all the side effect is. Nathan still does not get the vaccine as his lymphocytes need to be 1.5. With having treatment today and starting the new medications, his doctor would like to see where his counts will be before advising him receiving the vaccine. So Nathan has a minimum 4 week wait. At least all 4 of us now have had the vaccination and can hopefully minimize what we bring in for Nathan.
Well its been a busy day and who knows what tomorrow should bring so I should finish up. We will keep you posted.
4 days off from all medications proved a wonder to Nathan's body as his neutrophils bounced up to 1.22 - high enough to start the Maintenance phase of treatment. Maintenance is supposed to be the easiest of all the phases but it is the longest. Starting today it will take Nathan to March 9, 2012 or more exact, today is day 1 of 845 days of preventative treatment.
The cycle is 85 days and we just keep repeating the 85 days until the end of treatment. So 5 days at the start of every 28 days, Nathan will have Dexamethasone (steroid) for 5 days. Every day before bed he will have Mecaptopurine or 6MP. This one will take some time to get used to administering as it needs to be one hour before eating or 2-3 hours after eating. A new label says no milk products in the 2-3 hour window. We will need clarification on that one as no milk before bed for 2 plus years isn't going to happen. Once a week starting next Monday, Nathan will have Methotrexate by pill before bed. This drug made us chuckle as one dose is 7 tiny pills. When we asked the pharmacist why it didn't come in a bigger pill, Nathan's response was "no problem, I can take 7 pills at once". The pharmacist's response was this drug is the one that knocks the white blood cells so quite often the dosage is changed and rather than throwing out pills, you can simply remove a couple if need be.
Although this is new and we were expecting to go for blood work in a week or two just to see where Nathans white blood cell count is at, we are not to go in until December so every 4 weeks unless at that time his counts are low. So that is the news on Nathan.
Carter is not feeling well. I am not sure if he is in the less than 10% category that has side effects from flu vaccinations or if it is just a coincidence. Thursday evening was his vaccination. Friday he was feeling well but looked very pale. Saturday he had extreme fatigue and by Sunday afternoon he put himself for a nap as he wasn't feeling well. 2 hours later with me waking him up, he woke with a fever, chills and body aches. He slep a full night Sunday and woke this morning with a slight fever. While we were at the clinic, he wasn't able to keep water down in the morning but settled his stomach by noon. The remainder of the day was resting. The temperature returned in late afternoon and after supper he again put himself to bed. When I say after supper I mean 6:30pm. One thing I admire about Carter is that when he isn't feeling well, he knows to sleep. So sleeping he is.
With everything going on, I managed to slip away this afternoon to the Prairie Land H1N1 vaccination clinic. I was told by the Counsellor at the Cancer Clinic that our request was heard and that although it wasn't advertised, care givers of children receiving chemotherapy who could not themselves receive the vaccine were now eligible to receive it. So I thought I would try again. I was asked if I had an underlying health problem and I said no and explained the situation and low and behold they said "oh, yes, you are a primary caregiver and you qualify". 3 times a charm! My arm hurt for a while but I made sure to move it around. I am expecting stiffness tomorrow and hopefully that will be all the side effect is. Nathan still does not get the vaccine as his lymphocytes need to be 1.5. With having treatment today and starting the new medications, his doctor would like to see where his counts will be before advising him receiving the vaccine. So Nathan has a minimum 4 week wait. At least all 4 of us now have had the vaccination and can hopefully minimize what we bring in for Nathan.
Well its been a busy day and who knows what tomorrow should bring so I should finish up. We will keep you posted.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
ADI II Done Day 6
Finally some good news! Nathan's neutrophils have come to 0.66 so no more IV antibiotic! That was a nice jump from Monday. Nathan was excited to have Arron de-access him and he once again thoroughly enjoyed his bath.
So now that one child is on the mend, time to focus on another :). Several times we have questioned our doctor regarding Carter and swelling in the groin area, noticeably so after exercising or having a bath. Each visit he couldn't find anything. We requested awhile back for him to be sent to a specialist and so was able to get in to see a urologist at the end of October. It appears Carter has a small hernia that is allowing fluid in through the opening when he exercises. It has never bothered him as he has never complained of pain. I took him this morning for an ultrasound and he did very well. We were told it would be 4-6 months for surgery but there must have been an opening as we received a phone call indicating November 20th they could get him in. We are ever so thankful we live in Canada and have paid medicare!
Carter's school was eligibile for Kindergarten to grade 6 to get the H1N1 vaccincation tonight. We all took him but when told it was a 2 hour wait, we made alternate arrangements for Arron and Carter to get a ride home and I returned with Justin and Nathan. Nathan still needs to wait. His neutrophils and lymphocytes both need to be 1.0 for at least 2 days in a row before he can get the vaccination and have it work. So maybe next week he and I will be able to get it together.
And just so as not to leave Justin out, he is going to be a sweet talker like his Dad. Reading books tonight he looked at me and says, "I love your beautiful blue eyes". He generally does the "just lay with me for 2 mins" speech at bed time. So as we cuddled he started rubbing my back and then told me to rub his. Just before he went to sleep he kissed me on the nose and said I was the best mom ever. Moments like these melt my heart - just a little bit of sweetness at the end of a stressful day.
So now that one child is on the mend, time to focus on another :). Several times we have questioned our doctor regarding Carter and swelling in the groin area, noticeably so after exercising or having a bath. Each visit he couldn't find anything. We requested awhile back for him to be sent to a specialist and so was able to get in to see a urologist at the end of October. It appears Carter has a small hernia that is allowing fluid in through the opening when he exercises. It has never bothered him as he has never complained of pain. I took him this morning for an ultrasound and he did very well. We were told it would be 4-6 months for surgery but there must have been an opening as we received a phone call indicating November 20th they could get him in. We are ever so thankful we live in Canada and have paid medicare!
Carter's school was eligibile for Kindergarten to grade 6 to get the H1N1 vaccincation tonight. We all took him but when told it was a 2 hour wait, we made alternate arrangements for Arron and Carter to get a ride home and I returned with Justin and Nathan. Nathan still needs to wait. His neutrophils and lymphocytes both need to be 1.0 for at least 2 days in a row before he can get the vaccination and have it work. So maybe next week he and I will be able to get it together.
And just so as not to leave Justin out, he is going to be a sweet talker like his Dad. Reading books tonight he looked at me and says, "I love your beautiful blue eyes". He generally does the "just lay with me for 2 mins" speech at bed time. So as we cuddled he started rubbing my back and then told me to rub his. Just before he went to sleep he kissed me on the nose and said I was the best mom ever. Moments like these melt my heart - just a little bit of sweetness at the end of a stressful day.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
ADI II - Done day 4
Nathan's neutrophils are finally on the rebound....
Yesterday we were able to de-access him after his 6:30am medication, he was able to have a good morning including a nice long bath and then we went to the clinic for blood work. We didn't have to wait around so was nice to come straight home.
A phone call around 3pm informed us his WBC was 1.03, hemoglobin 88, platelettes around 200 and neutrophils were 0.33. It was a big relief to hear that Nathan had turned a corner. He is getting a little stir crazy being in the house all the time so we are looking forward as much as he is to having enough neutrophils to be comfortable letting him out.
Thursday we will go for another blood test to see if Nathan's neutrophils are at 0.50. As soon as we hit the mark Nathan will be off the IV anti-biotic. I am hoping that will happen Thursday in order to give his body a break - no medication, no hospitals and not being accessed - at least for 4 days.
Yesterday we were able to de-access him after his 6:30am medication, he was able to have a good morning including a nice long bath and then we went to the clinic for blood work. We didn't have to wait around so was nice to come straight home.
A phone call around 3pm informed us his WBC was 1.03, hemoglobin 88, platelettes around 200 and neutrophils were 0.33. It was a big relief to hear that Nathan had turned a corner. He is getting a little stir crazy being in the house all the time so we are looking forward as much as he is to having enough neutrophils to be comfortable letting him out.
Thursday we will go for another blood test to see if Nathan's neutrophils are at 0.50. As soon as we hit the mark Nathan will be off the IV anti-biotic. I am hoping that will happen Thursday in order to give his body a break - no medication, no hospitals and not being accessed - at least for 4 days.
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