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

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