LEAVING ON A JET PLANE

I wanted to update everyone on the new developments. The labs always dictate how our day seems to go, so I will begin with them. On the 27th, Kristins ANC was 48. Meaning she was very neutropenic. That is extremely low considering a healthy person's ANC runs around 3000-5000. (this is the absolute neutrophil count..the diease fighting white blood cells that help us fight infection, bacteria, etc.) Kristin has been as low as 220, but never this low. In fact I actually questioned if they were doing the math right! So, she was on total house arrest for the week but had been feeling okay with all things considered. Friday rolled around and her "sore" back progressed to the point that she was tearful throughout the day. By 6:00 a slight fever had set in and arrangements were made for us to go to Renown. Had you or I run a fever at 100-101 we would probably not even taken Tylenol or Motrin, but when someone is as neutropenic as she was, anything fever is dangerous. The ANC was down to 26! She was started on iv antibiotics right away. By Sunday all fever had subsided and the blood cultures that were drawn were still negative. (blood cultures will show if there is any bacteria growing in her) but, the labs did showblasts! These were the bad boys that showed up when she was first diagnosed. We had not seen any since then. If they do show up it is usually a relapse. (blasts are immature, cancerous white blood cells,that rapidly multiply out of control) I found this out when the nurse handed me the labs. I saw the counts and said,"What is this.....there are blasts?!!!!!" Now these are not oncology nurses and she said she did not know and scurried out of the room. As I look back, I do not think I was suppose to see those labs. Dr. Raphael arrived in Reno Monday morning and read her slide. He was not too worried because her marrow was very active and trying to recover. All other counts were showing a recovering marrow not one in relapse. Labs on Monday showed blasts again. Today her ANC was up to 104, but still there were blasts and that could not be ignored any longer and needed to be investigated.She needed to have a bone marrow biopsy and they wanted to do that at Children's. Being too neutropenic to be released, it was decided to transport Kristin to Oakland via air..today. I ran home and threw some necessities in a bag and hurried back to the hospital. I will say that this was quite the adventure and one that I am hoping insurance will cover 100% of! We went by ambulance, taking a pit stop at Taco Bell, down the bumpiest road in Reno, to the airport
A plane was waiting for us. They loaded us on, Taco Bell in hand, and arrived in Oakland in 35 minutes. (that's about 200mph) Everyone we met gave us the impression that they loved what they were doing. We meet Laura and Charlie, the flight nurses, Johnney Bravo, the pilot, Eric, Hillary, Dave, Robert, and Edward, all paramedics. I was grateful for the kindness extended to us and said a quiet prayer of thanks and for our safe travel. That brings us to room 5317. Tomorrow is the bone marrow biopsy. I cannot say or even spectulate about how long we will be here until we get the results. We are rather calm and positive about the situation at the moment. There is no definitive reason for worry at this time, so I have choosen not to! This time we have corner windows overlooking down town San Francisco. We pretend this is the penthouse suite, safari animal wallpaper and all! We unpacked, did the customary check in formalities, and settled in. Again, people who love their jobs! All this lightens the worry from my mind, distracts Kristin, and I am again grateful for the goodness of others and realize how blessed Kristin has been. Thank you for every single prayer said. Please keep them coming for her and all the other children who's lives have been changed forever by cancer!

Warmly, Leslie