We have some!!! Just a few, but the doctor is "cautiously optimistic." We are ecstatic even though we know they could be zero again tomorrow. 2% of her 1400 white cells are neutrophils for an absolute count of 28 (too small a number to show up on the computer-generated report but still way bigger than zero). Some of you might be thinking, "Yeah, but she's had that many a couple of times before" and you are right, even a few more once or twice when she had more overall white cells. But she also has 4.3% monocytes (the white cells that are sometimes precursors to neutrophils) an all-time high. And combined, they mean that her lymphocytes (the confused cells that have been attacking the good ones) are at an all-time low of 93.7%. Those nasty little things have hung around 97-99% since post AA time began. The doctor came in this morning, raised his arm in the air with a tight fist, brought it down as he stomped his foot, and said, "Yes!" Kinsey smiled. She made up a song this afternoon and suggested I write it down. It goes like this, "Go neutrophils; don't stop for anything. It might not be a smile. Go neutrophils. Go neutrophils; the only thing you stop for is if it'll make things even better. Never stop for something that will make it even worse and don't stop for something that won't matter. Go neutrophils. Don't stop for anything...."
Okay, she's a better artist than a song writer, but the tune was good and she sings well. And the thought was right on. We had her out for our first 6-hour pass today after several days of 4-hour passes (we'd been a little late once or twice so they probably thought what the heck). We took her to breakfast where she wanted a breakfast burrito. They looked at her funny. We asked for a tortilla and tried to make one. She knew better and passed, just eating the tortilla and a pancake. She and Jillian played at Ronald McDonald House's playroom. They even did a show for us on a little stage and set up all the animals (including Mickey, Minnie, and 6 of the 7 dwarfs) as the "audience." It was great!!! We watched a video together in the TV room (actually they slept through most of it while Audrey and I watched 102 Dalmatians). Yesterday, we went to the zoo and Kinsey rode the carousel and train. She sat beside me on a bench (afraid of getting up on the horse given her weakened state) and she put her head on my shoulder. She didn't seem to enjoy it tremendously but quietly. I enjoyed it tremendously and thought of all the times we'd ridden carousels and how many of those I'd taken for granted. Kinsey used to ask before the first ride was over, "Can I ride again?" But not this time. She was tired but picked up a little bit and did seem to enjoy being out in the sunshine. We had pizza afterward and she ate it. Last night at 1:15 a.m. she wanted a hot dog. They didn't have the kind she likes here and she asked Audrey to call me to go get some of the kind she likes. I told Kinsey next time Audrey wouldn't call, ask her for the phone and call herself as I would gladly go out at 1:15 a.m. to get her something she might eat. Today was an even better day than yesterday in that she seemed to feel a little better yet. And we couldn't stop thinking about the possibility of what those neutrophils mean. We cling to the possibilities they may represent.
Audrey was flipping back through all the test results and saw one count of 36% neutrophils. She nearly screamed until she looked at the date and saw the name: Karen Morrison (that's me, the potential donor). Okay, my iron, potassium, and calcium were in the toilet but I have lots of neutrophils! I just pray it doesn't come to me giving her any, considering what that will mean- she will have to go through first. She wanted to know why that was such a big deal, just getting some blood from me. And I told her it was a lot more complicated than that because they would have to kill all the cells she currently has first. That would be the hard part initially. She is scared enough that she doesn't want to have a transplant unless there's no other way. We agree with her, of course. Of course, we also know that even if she gets some neutrophils, that only buys us time to see if medications can turn this around in the next few months. It doesn't mean she won't eventually need a transplant. It doesn't yet mean she won't need one next week. It doesn't mean many things except to us right now it means hope! I can't imagine sleeping tonight while we wait for the CBC test to come back tomorrow morning. I will let you all know what the results are. Pray for neutrophils and sing Kinsey's song a time or two. Audrey says she will dance in the street and Ann and I have already selected the drink we will buy her first and we will both video tape. I know Kinsey will appreciate that video years from now—as will we all. More tomorrow.
| Previous | Next |