6/15/2007

Home from the Chataeu du Rady

Another amazing recovery by Max.

As Andy stated Max checked in to the hospital on Wednesday afternoon with a fever of 101.3. His port was accessed, blood drawn for a blood culture, and hooked up to IV fluids while waiting for the physician on the floor to write orders for an antibiotic. He finally got some tylenol for his fever and the antibiotics running and felt much better Thursday morning. No fever, just a little achy.

When we got to the hospital Max's counts (blood counts) were zeroed out:
0.1 white blood cells (4-12 preferred)
240 ANC (should be 500-1500 preferably, however the doctor felt this was artifically high due his body kicking up everything it had to fight the infection.)
33 platelets (75 is a good number)
These would account for his getting an infection somewhere. His blood culture came back negative, meaning that the infection did not become blood-borne, as did his c-diff sample. Good news on both. So it seems that he simply had a localized infection possibly at the site of his recent BMA (bone marrow aspiration), but it could've been anywhere in his body.

His counts Thursday morning were still pretty low. His ANC had dropped to 160, whites and platelets still real low and his reds were at transfusion level 7.5 (got a refill on those Thursday afternoon). The only way out of the hospital with post-chemo fever is to get that ANC up to 500. We were well prepared to stay again Friday night because the leap from 160 to 500 wasn't gonna happen.

Ha Ha on us. Friday morning Max's nurse brought the CBC sheet ot me and I read, "ANC 600." Get outta here! And we did. Max was so happy! (Note that being in the hospital is incredibly boring no matter how much stuff your mom brings from home.) He talked the ears off of any person who happened to walk in for the next 3 hours as we packed and waited for the discharge papers.

Today was also Max's last of Kindergarten. He was discharged at 11:30 am. We booked to the car and Mommy drove really fast to get Max to the last few minutes of school. He walked into class to see everyone singing/signing "You Light Up My Life" (how appropriate...) and sat down next to Ms. Weitz and sang along. After the song the kids all hugged and high-fived him. It was so heart warming to see all the love his class has for him and to have made it there for even a few minutes.

So yet again, Max pulls a rabbit out of a hat and surprises us all. Way to go, Max!

3 comments:

Randee said...

Hey Max, I am so glad you are home with Hannah and Nic and feeling much better!! I'll bet your Dad is glad you and your Mom are back home too!! Have a wonderfully fun weekend!! Love Annee Ranee

Anonymous said...

Yay, Max made it for our last day!! Timed perfectly to the music, the kids were soooooo excited to see him!!
Melissa it is AWESOME that you were able to zoom him in for the last few minutes.
Quite memorable!
=)

Anonymous said...

That was the BEST ENDING of anyday I've ever seen! Thank you for putting the medal to the pedal Melissa! Everyone was so happy to see him (including myself)! I hope summer is going well for you and the family!

Much love,
Ms. Ginn a.k.a. Ms "Guinea Pig"

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