Happy Juice Sadness

Yesterday was the start of our 5th maintenance cycle. Time for a spinal tap. We reported to the clinic at 8:30 for the usual port access, blood work, and pre-procedure examination.

Carson's ANC was an amazing 5,000!!! That's high enough that he might actually be able to play at the McDonald's playland without getting sick......well, maybe not. Anyway, by leukemia treatment standards that ANC is way too high. More on that later.

After our exam, the main event of the day finally arrived....the happy juice! As with most other times, Carson had been asking about it since awakening that morning and this time was not any different.

The procedure went smoothly and quickly, the happy juice making Carson very, very calm and still. The part that didn't go as smoothly was afterward. As soon as Carson came around a little bit he asked "When am I going to get the happy juice?". When told that he'd already received it, and the procedure was over, he proceeded to pull his blanket over his head and sob heavily. Poor little guy, he didn't remember it at all! He didn't believe that it had been given to him!

The sobbing continued for about 20 minutes, until the happy juice wore off. Either that, or he got distracted enough with the pictures on Nona's phone (She does have pictures of old cars on there after all). Carson then enjoyed some snacks and TV while Vincristine was administered and the Pentamadine infusion started.

Now, what to do about that ANC. I was voting for the McDonald's experiment and perhaps some crawling around in mud puddles and stagnant water, but Dr.'s orders prevailed. In addition to starting our monthly round of steroids (at a higher dosage - because that boy is GROWING!), we'll start in again raising the dosages of the oral chemos - both of them. Alas, I mourn the days off from 6MP and the one crushed pill of methotrexate from a few weeks ago. The good old days!

And so, the next cycle begins. We have been in maintenance now for almost a year! Can you believe it?? God continues to protect our little guy with relatively good health - we'll deal with the dosing issues - it really could be worse. Don't I know it!

-Jennifer