Staying Put

We are staying put . . . no chemotherapy tomorrow!

Erin's Cellulitis sore in her diaper area is looking worse and her CRP (blood test that shows inflammation) has gone from 1.4 last week to 2.6 today.  A normal CRP is 0.8.  We are very thankful that we didn't start chemo last week because her sore would have been awful and she wouldn't have any immune system to fight it.  So . . . here we sit.

Dr. Fluchell called this evening and told us the news.  He said that our team of Oncologists and Infectious Disease doctors are going to have a "pow wow" (his words) tomorrow morning on Erin and decide on a new path.  She has been on two "bazooka medications" (his words again) Vancomycin and Meropenem for over a month and so they are going to see if there is something even stronger that will work for her. 

We were pretty astonished today to find that her ANC has shot up to 2400!!!  It was 1000 last Thursday so that was some bright happy news.  Her other blood work is all up there in a pretty normal range. 

I took Cecily and Caleb to their pediatrician, Dr. Bell, today for their 4 and 5 year well checks.  It was fun to see Dr. Bell and let him see our little Erin.  Dr. Bell was the doctor who first diagnosed Erin with Leukemia.  He was the one who gave us the unfortunate phone call that changed our entire world.  We are so thankful for Dr. Bell and his staff at Treehouse Pediatrics and all that they have done to help us.

I have spoken personally with three doctors today and it is such a wonderful feeling knowing that we have such amazing professionals taking care of us.  I am grateful for those (and their families) who sacrifice their time to help save lives.  We are thankful to have a happy and relatively healthy little angel brightening up our home.  Erin is such a delight.  We like to think of her as a little adult in a tiny body - she is so grown up sounding.  It probably comes from living in a hospital being surrounded by so many adults. 

She has also started demanding that SHE answer the telephone.  So, if you happen to call our house and she answers the phone I hope you enjoy your little conversation with her!

Erin has a clinic appointment Wednesday afternoon to have her doctors look at her and fill us in on their plan of action.  John is taking her to that appointment.  So . . . we'll see what happens.  In the meantime, we are going to enjoy our time here at home!