A Long Day

I am sorry for not posting to the blog at some point earlier in the day, but it has just been one of those days. Katie just didn't feel good from the second she got up this morning and required quite a bit of attention. She didn't nap well either, so I didn't have much time to get away. However, when I did get a moment to myself I spent it working at my computer. I wasn't blogging though. I was grading student CAD drawings. I am still teaching full time, I just don't go to school every day. I run all of my classes through the internet and work keeps pouring in even when I am not physically with my students.

Amy and Katie are headed down to Burlington again tomorrow morning for a 10am appointment. Katie will get a checkup, some more chemo and a transfusion tomorrow. The transfusion will make it a long day, but Katie should feel much better after getting it.

Her weight is up a little more again this week, but not so drastically as last week. She now weighs in at 29 pounds, 1.5 ounces.

The visiting nurse stopped in this morning for a check up and to draw blood for testing before tomorrow's trip. I received a phone call from Fletcher Allen with the results this afternoon and they are encouraging. They are as follows:
WBC 1.6
Hemoglobin 7.6
Platelets 62000
ANC 976

All of those numbers are down a little except for the ANC, but that is what the transfusion will help with. The ANC is the interesting number here. That is the number that lets us know how her immune system is doing. At number of 500 or less, she is restricted to spending time with just her parents and her brother. Last week she was at 290. At nearly 1000, she could start getting more visitors except for one little problem. One of her chemotherapy drugs, the dexomethazone, is still suppressing her immune system so Katie will not get the benefits of having her ANC climb back to 976. We have been told to continue restricting visitors until her numbers are good and she is done taking the dexamethazone. For reference, I think I remember the doctors telling us early into this process that a ANC of 1500 or better was considered normal.

Katie is now sleeping soundly in her own bed, and I am going to climb into my bed. I am the one who has to go into school tomorrow morning while Amy and Katie head off to the hospital.