Wednesday, October 23rd
We have enjoyed a glorious 5 days at home and now get to add an extra 7 to that total! Our time at home has been filled with soccer, piano, art, homework, fun, clinic visits, laundry, grocery shopping, fighting(sisters) and all of the other things that are part of our normal routine.
Avery had an appointment at the Bone Marrow clinic on Monday. Her labs still showed that her stem cells would not mobilize enough for collection this cycle, so we will try again next cycle. Her platelets were a little low, but since they were borderline, they decided to skip transfusion as that would have definitely delayed the start of Cycle 3. We got to stop and eat lunch with Shon at work before heading back home.
Tuesday was spent working, packing and preparing to be away for an entire week. We even managed to carve Avery's pumpkin knowing that she wouldn't likely be up for it next week.
We arrived at Clinic today and began with a hearing test. There was a slight change in Avery's high frequency hearing(they use a special earbud to measure this), but it was not yet noticeable in the audio tests. We will continue to watch for any changes as we continue with chemo. Avery did an awesome job getting her port accessed. She screamed and objected the whole time(which is allowed), but she sat perfectly still the entire time(which is neccessary). It was a much better experience than Monday. This earned her a new Lego set from Ms. Chloe, and getting to spend some of her "gift shop" money.
Her platelets had come up to 60(from 46), but that is still not high enough to begin her next cycle. This paired with an ANC of 510 earned us 7 more days at home to rest and recover. After getting de-accessed, she got a quick flu shot, and we were back on our way home. Pending no fevers or other illnesses, we don't have to set foot back in the hospital until next Wednesday. We will spend the next week at home keeping Avery protected from germs and illnesses with the goal of starting Cycle 3 on October 30th.
Once again, we have been overwhelmed with all of the calls, texts, gifts, meals, etc that everyone has provided. We truly feel blessed to have such a wonderful support system during such a difficult time. If we have not had the chance to thank you personally, please know how appreciated you are.
Please continue to pray for:
- No fevers or illnesses
- Less side effects and no complications with Cycle 3
- Clean scans and lumbar puncture following Cycle 3
- Successful stem cell collection
Sweet girl! I pray for you every day. So glad you are home and enjoying some time. Prayers for your continued progress!
Love the pumpkin! Glad you’re getting a break from the hospital. Continued prayers for all of you. 😘
Isn’t God good!? Mostly all wonderful news this post! You all will have a much deserved time before having to go back to the hospital! Continued prayers for all you mentioned and His hand to help Avery beat her disease!
I was so excited to hear all the good things that have been happening over the past few days. So thankful all of you have had some quality time together and Avery has felt like having some fun carving her pumpkin and doing things she enjoys. Just getting to be home with the family is such a blessing. Continuing to pray for a miracle for sweet Avery.