Wow

The numbers today
Platelets 37
red 8.1
Gran (anc) 1.4
white 2.2

Great numbers!!!

The Doctor arrived with his hand out for a congratulatory shake. I asked if I could give him a hug instead. I gave him a big hug. The Nurse was there to clean the pick line. Tom had mentioned that he thought the Doctor might want to pull it out now with these numbers. She asks if we are going to pull the line. Earlier the nurse who drew the blood for the CBC (blood tests) had a hard time getting the line open. It had been two weeks since it had last been flushed when we were last in clinic.

So the nurse asks the doctor " Are we pulling the line?" He responds "Why not?" . The line comes out and Riley asks to save it. She puts it in a bio hazard bag for Riley to take home. The Picc is a blue wire about a foot and a half long. The two access ports dangle from the end; one white indicating the smaller of the two lines and the other red for the larger line inside the blue wire.

We go back in one month. The Doctor asked that we get CBC's drawn here in Canby in two weeks just to make sure we stay on target. Riley continues with the magnesium and cyclosporine. He can take regular vitamins now, even vitamins with iron. The drinking of fluids is still very important. Water keeps the kidneys flushed so they are not damaged by the cyclosporine.

I am hopeful that Riley's numbers will reach normal before next fall. This turn is now definitive. Platelets of 37 we haven't seen since Riley got sick. Well he would spike after transfusions but this was all Riley, not someone else.

The other numbers show high cell growth and new production. It will take time to replace all the needed cells, but everything is looking rosy today. Its funny, Tom had us all pick the number again. We were all very conservative and pessimistic. Each of us had one score on target, but none of us had all of them this high.

I asked if Riley could see a dermatologist for his zits. As long as the dermatologist talks to the Doctor before prescribing anything, that would be fine. Retain A is not a choice, though. I think just being able to bath and soak again every day, without Tom or me having to wrap his arm in water proof materials, will help the complexion clear up. I can imagine the tub will be busy tonight with a long soak.

Grandma loves our rain bath shower head. She took a long shower this morning before Riley and I left for the hospital. Good thing she did because Riley will probably claim the bathroom for hours now. Trevor already takes soaks with a good book for long durations. I will need to make Riley take baths while Trevor is at school or there will be huge fights over time in the tub. Bath time is still at 8:00 so we can get lights out by 10:00 pm. Both boys sneak on their lights again until late, but by then Tom and I are asleep.

Tom took Riley with him from the hospital. He wanted to celebrate the good news and the Picc being gone. They look up a model shop on line to get the address, when they arrive the place is closed so they go to the one they know in Oregon City, but it doesn't have the good ones that Tom is looking for. The place tells them of a big store on 82nd. So they stop at Applebees for lunch then go to this new place. Tom loves it. It has just what he has been looking for, The USS Constitution, a three masted sailing ship. Riley is thrilled.

While Tom and Riley are off having fun I go home and take my mother in law out to lunch for our own small celebration. We still will need to be careful, but life is good. I am grateful to be living in this modern age of medicine.