Neutrophils Dropping -- Yeah!

I am writing this blog, while still in bed from the hotel room. I have been extremely tired lately, so last night it was decided that after dinner I go to bed and try and get as much sleep as I possible could. Fourteen hours later I emerged from my sleep and have decided to write today's blog.

Yesterday afternoon Nana and Gaga volunteered to watch Parker during visiting hours (3p-7p) while my wife and I went to Esselunga to get some cleaning supplies and then have some dinner. I made a red sauce with fresh ravioli we got from Esselunga. It was delicious. It was then that I plopped myself into bed and suggested my wife stay at the hospital tonight while I got some sleep. I told her I would be at the hospital bright and early to relieve her. She agreed. At twenty after ten that night, I woke up to see my wife coming through the door. She said that her mother was staying with Parker for the night and she would relieve her early this morning. My wife gave Parker 400 mL of milk (yes that is 13+ ounces) before he fell asleep and she left the hospital. This morning she left here at 6:45am to be at the hospital for seven. The time in the hospital is taking its tole on us but we are surviving.

As I had mention before, it is easier when Parker is doing so well. To be honest, we don't know what it is like for Parker not to act strong. Even when he was sick at a six weeks old and hooked up to oxygen he still would do his tummy time with me. Now, Parker acts like a normal child his age. He succeeds at every turn during his battle with this disease. That is all we know of Parker.

I had mention in my last article that we were waiting for blood results to come back tomorrow to see if it appeared that Parker was becoming neutropenic. The answer is Parker is on his way to becoming neutropenic. He would actually be considered moderately neutropenic from his blood result yesterday. So, we are happy. As I said, Parker does whatever is asked of him and we have never know any different.

Today is considered day +13 and tomorrow is another day in which so more major tests are done on Parker to obtain data for the study. We are hoping and expecting that Parker's neutrophils are even less than they were yesterday. Apparently, they should increase as quickly as they decreased. So during day +14 and day +21 we will have to be even more strict than we have been while Parker has been in isolation.

One of the nurses gave Parker a beach ball the other day. Parker absolutely loves it. It took him a good few minutes before being able to throw it out of the crib so I had to re-sanitise it but he loves it none-the-less.

We are missing home quite a bit lately. It is going to be a few more months before we come home but we know that we have everyones love and support from home and that too also helps us get through our time in Italy.