Fear of the Firsts

7/19/2011:  9:39 PM

giving blood like a pro

Davis has a fear of the firsts of everything, and the first blood test at SBLHC was no exception. He prolonged it until lunch time.  He wasn't afraid of the actual finger prick at Sarah Bush; he was afraid of the car ride. He experiences car sickness (yet another new feeling) and hates getting into a car.  Nevertheless, he sailed through it all today.  So well in fact, I had to run into Planet Wiener to get him a celebratory hamburger and cheese fries.

One of the nurses from STCH called with his CBC results a few hours later. Davis is doing a great job producing his own red blood cells.  His hemoglobin has been fairly low since diagnosis.  It hovers around a 7.0 (Healthy children are 15 or above). Red blood cell transfusions bring him up a couple of points and then it slowly falls. Well, today Davis's is over 10.  However, his platelets have dropped off. He is still a far way off from needing a platelet transfusion, but low platelets better explain why he bled so much when he had his blood drawn. His ANC (immune system) has dropped below 800 (higher risk for infection) so we continue to be cautious with visitors and going places.  Luckily, Davis is very much a homebody, and he is perfectly content watching cartoons and sitting in the recliner all day.

After stating all that information about Davis's counts, I think it is important to remember it is all relative. Since the chemo kills both bad and good parts of his blood, the numbers will continue to drop and fluctuate.  The information the numbers provide us is more important. We need to know when he needs transfusions to keep his body working properly, and we need to know what his ANC is to protect him against bacteria and germs.

A couple of questions answered. . . I have been asked a couple of questions over and over, so I thought I would clarify.

a good day - a fake smile

We are very much believing for remission in 19 days.  However, the journey doesn't end there. In order to be in remission, Davis has to have less than 5% of cancer cells present in his bone marrow. We are praying for remission, but remission doesn't mean that Davis is cured. We are trusting in God, the doctors, and the medicine to put Davis into remission, but we are fully concentrating our prayers and faith in God for his cure. As cancer survivors know, health professionals are hesitant to state that someone is "cured" of cancer, because the chances of relapse are so great. Davis's greatest risk for relapse are in the first three years. If he is still in remission after year five, his chance of relapse drops considerably. If he hasn't relapsed after ten years, his odds of relapse are even less. We feel we serve a mighty God - a healing God - who will CURE Davis in 19 days.

Leukemia is cancer of the blood.  (In Davis's case, cancer of the T-cell in the white blood cells.)  Therefore, the cancer is all over the body because the blood is all over the body, so it isn't staged as many of the cancers are. Sometimes Leukemia travels outside of the blood and can cause tumors. We are fortunate - and blessed - that Davis's cancer remains in the blood.

Another movie night in the Coffey house. Davis is feeling great, so all is well. We appreciate your positive thoughts and prayers as always.  We ask that you earnestly pray for remission and CURE in 19 days. Thank you in advance.

Keep you posted.