IS SHE EATING HER RED BLOOD CELLS?

No, not really but, that is what Children's asked when they looked at her labs on Tuesday. She needed more packed red blood cells. Her hemoglobin had dropped down to 7 and we had had a transfusion just 10 days earlier. I asked why that was. The last transfusion brought her counts up much higher and they stayed there. Like a bouncing ball bounces back slower with every bounce, so does the bone marrow every time it gets knocked down with chemotherapy. With Kristin's bone marrow being suppressed so many times, it takes longer to recover after each hit. They said her counts were "garbage" and we would have to put off going to Oakland to start the interim maintainence phase until counts could recover. So Tuesday was spent at Renown getting two units of the good stuff. We rented some movies and Darren and the boys brought us Deli Town sandwiches. Yum. We all watched I am Legend together. It made the hours go by faster and her brothers got a taste of what she has to go through. We were home around 11:00 p.m. As I was putting her to bed I noticed her lips were healthy and red as before they were pasty and white. (as were gums and fingernails) Sandy; an oncology nurse, told me that a transfusion is like giving a wilted flower water. It really is!

Thanks everyone, we love you all!

Leslie

Comments

Kathy Hawley said…
I'm thinking of you throughout the day, and hoping things are going well. I have Kristin's picture up on the Pennies for Patients box in the classroom, and the kids are keeping up with your progress. Every day they are bringing pennies... and more! One thing about being down there vs. in Reno is that you have incredible support, and it's wonderful to talk to the other families. I hope this is just a small bump in the road - save bigger ones for rollercoasters at 6 Flags :)
April 2, 2008 at 4:07 PM
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