Day 14, Chemo Round 1 :: The Waiting Game

Jade concentrating on her
glue project in the art room.

We've only been here for two weeks; it seems like much longer than that.  I ran into another mother in the Ronald McDonald Room who mentioned how anxious her seven-year-old son was getting because they had just entered week seven of his inpatient stay and still have another lengthy bone marrow transplant stay ahead of them. We first met in 2012 when her son was admitted for acute lymphoblastic leukemia while Jade was undergoing treatment. 'Tis a long road ahead...

At this point of Jade's treatment, we are just waiting for her immune system to build itself back up and for her counts to recover so that she'll be able to come home for a visit and not be at serious risk for infection. Jade's chemotherapy infusions ended over a week ago and wreaked havoc on her healthy cells and - prayerfully - the leukemic cells as well.  The doctors are monitoring all kinds of electrolyte levels, but we focus in on her hemoglobin, platelets, monocytes, and ANC.  

Today's Counts Hemoglobin: 10.8 This is up from last week's 7.0 thanks to a blood transfusion... Low hemoglobin levels typically manifest as fatigue, shortness of breath, etc. The typical range is 10 - 14. 

Platelets: 62 This is also up from yesterday's miniscule 5 thanks to a platelet transfusion... low platelet levels are an indicator of a weakened capacity to stop bleeding, internal and otherwise. The normal range is 133 - 333.

ANC: 0 Jade's ANC, absolute neutrophil count, is a measure of her immune system's ability to fight against infections, germs, etc. Neutrophils are the immune system's front-line soldiers and comprise the majority of the white blood cell count. Jade's ANC must reach 250 and stay there for at least two days before there is any speak of discharge papers and going home.

Monocytes: 0
Monocytes make up less than 10 percent of the white blood cell count. They help remove dead or damaged tissue and regulate immunity against foreign substances... among other things. They typically recover faster than neutrophils and are seen as a sign of a rising ANC on the horizon.  

For now, the art room, play room, and wagon rides around the unit are our friends.

Thanks for all of your encouragement and for keeping Jade in your thoughts and prayers.