UP AND DOWN

For the past week we have had Kristin's counts go up and down respectively. We now have buckets of platelets thanks to a transfusion. Unfortunately her WBC (white blood cells) drop to nearly a nonexistent level: .4! ;making her very neutropenic, and her hemaglobin (red blood cells) drop to where she needed a transfusion. Our overnight trip to Oakland was postponed so that she can recover. All this being said, she regretfully missed the J.A. dance. On Wednesday, we were sure that she could make it, but by Friday afternoon there was no way that it would be possible. Her handsome date for the evening and some other friends stopped by and gave her flowers and visited for a while. This cheered her up for a bit and we were happy for her. She spent the rest of the weekend sleeping as she had absolutely no energy to do much of anything.

We are trying a nausea patch for the vomiting and imitrix for headaches. I do think this has brought some relief as she did not complain so much over the weekend of headaches and has only thrown up a twice.

The Reno Gazette Journal has an article in the paper about the t-shirt sales and the fundraising for Kristin. Her friends Kristin VanSitters, Amy Erger, and Linda Erger have been working hard at this and it is so neat to see teenagers extend themselves unselfishly to help someone in need. It really is about how we treat others! (the article appeared on Thursday Feb. 21 if you want to read it online)

The Keaton Raphael Memorial offered us to have some dinners from "Dream Dinners." At first I thought that I did not need this and that it should be used for someone else. After last week, I realized that this would be very helpful. So, Shelly Gunter and I went down and put together several fabulous meals for us. This was lots of fun for both of us. What a great place. I highly recommend checking it out if you have the opportunity to do so. Dream Dinners was very generous to us and I am very grateful.

We are so very humbled by the hands of compassion extended to us from friends, family, and even strangers! Darren and I both feel quilty for not being as charitable as we should be and realize that there is so much more that we can do to help those in need. This has profoundly changed our family. We recognize the daily blessings and tender mercies daily making this trial bearable. "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethern, ye have done it unto me." Matt 25:40.

Gratefully,
Leslie

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

GO GO SPECIAL K!

Our last bone marrow biopsy went great! It showed no leukemia cells. This shows that she is having a positive early response to the chemo which is a very, very good thing! All of her labs are coming back "smashing!" We are dealing with secondary complications such as situational diabetes. This is only tempoary and should resolve once we are off the strong steroids. Consequently she has to have blood sugars checked often, insulin injections, and follow a carb controlled diet. not fun! In trying to be supportive, I am counting carbs along with her. It is hard when someone has a birthday up here every other day and wants to share their cake. Keep the dang cake to yourselves! Kristin is getting very tired more often and is noticing that she can pull out clumps of hair....I am sad. Although I knew this was coming, I was taken back by the situation and caught off guard. Baldness goes hand in hand with leukemia and every parent up here would rather have a beautifully healthy, shini
Read more

The Beginning

Image
Hello to all from Children's Hospital Oakland, California To it still difficult to grasp that we are actually here...hearing this news...living in this new world. Kristin's official diagnosis is ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA precursor b. This is very treatable form of cancer. She is enrolled in a cutting edge program for treating A.L.L.. All of us here are very optimistic. She is under the care of amazing Doctors and the recipient of the miracles of modern medicine. It will be a very rough 2 years or so, but she will survive. Thus far, we have been on the fast track. This is an amazing institution and we are very, very fortunate to be here. Nothing short of kindness and compassion have been shown to us from the very beginning. Upon our arrival on Monday, she has undergone a bone marrow biopsy, 2 lunbar punctures, echo cardiogram, chest x-ray, broviac cath . placement, and numerous pokes and prods. She received her first chemo treatment; injected into the spinal fluid, Wednes
Read more

UPDATE

Kristin is currenly in room 5330 getting two units of PRBC's. Her counts are on the way down and I am hoping that this is all the drama we will see. It has been a long, difficult...two months.....seems like forever.... especially as we approach the one year mark. Our daily excursions to Berkley have been uneventful. (I decided that if I had another life, I would like it to be in Berkley. I love this area!) We are going to Alta Bates Hospital. I am taken by the compassion, charity, and warmth that the patients are treated with here. It is the same spirit you feel when you walk onto the 5th floor here at CHO. Wonderful people who truly and compassionately love what they do. Back to her radiation.....Her radiation takes all of two minutes. I call it a "lick." Thankfully she is getting a very low dose so the side effects are pretty much nil. Kristin really looks forward to returning to school on a more regular basis. I cannot begin to tell you of the hardships Kristin has
Read more