|
December 5, 2003 -- Maintenance #1 (Day 69-85) / Maintenance #2 (Day 0-12) We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Ours was a very quiet evening at home with my parents and grandfather. We had much to be thankful for this year--especially for our beautiful daughter who is doing well with her treatments and our darling (big) baby boy. Dr. Rock has been trying to get Katie's counts and ANC to stabilize, so she's been to the clinic every week for a CBC. October 28 (day 69) her ANC was 2280 and her meds were 1/2 tablet 6MP for 3 days and 1 tablet 6MP for 4 days, 4 tablets of Methotrexate (MTX) weekly, Bactrim 2 times per day for 2 days. She takes Tums and fluoride daily regardless of her counts. November 4 (day 76) her ANC was 2166 and her meds were 1/2 tablet 6MP for 3 days and 1 tablet 6MP for 4 days, increased to 5 tablets of MTX weekly, Bactrim 2 times per day for 2 days. She had her spinal tap on November 13 (day 85 to finish Maintenance #1 and day 0 of Maintenance #2). We had to go to Children's Hospital for her spinal tap this month. Her ANC was 1964 and her meds for the next 2 weeks were Vincristine (VCR) IV push, Intrathecal Methotrexate (chemo in her spine), 1/2 tablet 6MP for 1 day and 1 tablet 6MP for 6 days, hold PO MTX one week and continue with 5 tablets weekly on November 19, 2mg Dexamethasone 2 times per day for 5 days, Bactrim 2 times per day for 2 days. We skipped one week at the clinic and were back for another CBC on November 25. Her ANC was 1836 and her meds were 1/2 tablet 6MP for 1 day and 1 tablet 6MP for 6 days, 5 tablets MTX weekly, Bactrim 2 times per day for 2 days. Katie's platelets were low at 77,000 (normal range is 150,000-450,000). We were watching for spontaneous bruising until her next visit to the clinic on December 2, in which her ANC was 989 and her platelets were back in normal range. Her meds were 1/2 tablet 6MP for 1 day and 1 tablet 6MP for 6 days, 5 tablets MTX weekly, hold on the Bactrim for 1 week. Katie will continue to go to her swimming classes through mid-December, but I've decided to stop the cooking classes. The instructor didn't call me to tell me her kids were sick and she brought them to the last class Katie attended. Kyle was sick two days later and Katie soon after. Through the winter months we will be doing crafts and fun stuff at home and she won't be attending any classes at the YMCA until the spring. Katie has had the sniffles and a cough for several weeks, fortunately with no fever. We kept her out of her classes before the spinal tap so she would be OK for the procedure. She was vomiting for a couple of days and very weak for about 7-10 days after the spinal tap and VCR treatment. I'm so glad we only have to do this every three months now. I forgot how sick she looks and feels after getting all that chemo. She bounced back quickly, though. Dr Rock told us to make sure that for the next few months we limit Katie's exposure to kids in daycare and school unless they have had a flu shot, and we must also keep her away from large crowds. In fact, anyone who will be spending time with her over the next several months is being asking to get a flu shot. Her exposure to the flu, chicken pox and other diseases can still be life-threatening. Anyone who may have been exposed to the flu, even if they've had the vaccine, needs to stay clear of her until they are sure they haven't caught it. The vaccines we received are not for the deadly "A" strain that is hitting our area now. Kyle had his 4 month check-up. He weighs 17 pounds, 8 ounces (90th percentile) and is 26-1/4 inches long (95th percentile). He looks like Katie did when she was a baby--just a lot bigger!! Katie loves him a little too much at times. She's a great big sister! With the one year anniversary of Katie's diagnosis approaching, the next few weeks will be very emotional for us. We want to make this year a really fun Christmas for Katie. We're all having fun decorating, baking goodies, listening to holiday music and counting down to Christmas eve! I probably won't have time to send another update until after the new year. We wish everyone a blessed holiday and happy, healthy new year! |
||||||||||
|
||||||||||