Tyler went to the Hopkins Outpatient Clinic today to have his labs drawn and get checked out. All looks well! He did not need any platelets or red cells as his levels were good. His ANC is 996. He usually goes right back into the hospital for his next chemo course when he hits 1000, but this time of course we have the extra weeks at home while he waits for his transplant admission on 1/17/12. We were thrilled to learn he doesn’t have to go back to Clinic until January 5th.
Tyler is loving being at home! He still doesn’t get hungry, but is eating anyway. He has a LOT of weight to gain back, so we’re hoping his appetite returns full force as soon as possible. His muscles are weak from all the weeks spent in bed, but he has been able to navigate the stairs in our house and actually walked quite a bit in the hospital today. While he’s easily winded and fatigued, we can see him getting stronger before our eyes.
While home, we must keep him infection free! Whenever he leaves our house, he must wear his mask, even to sit out on our deck. Leaf mold and other air contaminants can make him ill. We can make excursions to church and other places, but have to understand that every time he’s exposed to crowds of people, he’s exposed to their germs. The doctor today really emphasized with us that any illness during the next few weeks can derail the transplant, causing Tyler to require a fourth round of chemo. So please bear with us if we seem over-protective of our son for awhile!
We know that a strong body, mind and spirit are critical to the success of his pre- and post-transplant course. So we ask for prayers for Tyler’s physical health during this home visit, and that his mind and spirit will be renewed as he soon faces the toughest part of his battle yet.