Meeting up with Friends

Carson's fight against Leukemia: Day 47 of 1,278.

Today Carson reported back to the clinic for a chemo push (the last chemo of the week) and blood work. We are basically finished with the first two weeks of the consolidation phase. Yeah!! The results of the blood work came back good...kinda. He didn't need a transfusion of blood or platelets, but Carson's ANC was...well, a little on the low side.

Medical lesson of the day...as told by someone who did everything in their power to not take biology...and succeeded!

Neutropenia is an abnormally low level of neutrophils in the blood. Neutrophils are white blood cells produced in the bone marrow that ingest bacteria. Neutropenia is a serious disorder because it makes the body vulnerable to bacterial and fungal infections.

The measurement of Neutropenia is called your Absolute Neutrofil Count (ANC) and is classified according to the following scale:

• Mild Neutopenia: ANC of 1000 - 1500; low risk of infection

• Moderate Neutropenia: ANC of 500 - 1000; moderate risk of infection

• Severe Neutropenia: ANC below 500; severe risk of infection; activities curtailed

End medical lesson of the day...(okay, so I plagiarized a bit).

Carson's ANC today was a whopping 40. Four - zero. So, we are not going to be going out much for a bit.

The chemo side effects started to manifest in other ways, too. Carson had his first bought with nausea this afternoon. It wasn't severe or anything. He took a nap shortly after and woke up his normal, talkative self.

We know we are blessed to not have had any other complications thus far. Carson has proven himself to be a real trooper. I'm thinking his tolerance level for all of these medications must rival that of Superman...and for that we are forever grateful.

All was not bad...

After the visit to the clinic we all headed over to the hospital for pictures with Flashes of Hope. Carson had his picture taken along with a number of the patients on the pediatric oncology ward.

Carson and Francesca have their picture taken, then Carson hunts down Heather in her room.

After making mean faces to the photographer we stopped by to see Heather, Carson's adopted "big sis" on the ward. Both Heather and Carson were diagnosed with cancer on the same day. It had been several weeks since they saw each other last and Carson was super excited to see her again. Seeing sweet Heather again was definitely the highlight of the day. No. Make that the highlight of the week!

Go Heather!! Go Carson!!

To everyone else...keep those prayers coming!!

Paul.