Day 29 & 30 – Lanie’s Counts

I decided to combine yesterday and today as they were both similar.  There have been fewer doctors coming in to check on Lanie, which is a sure sign she’s getting better.  The rash that was bright red and took over her back, chest, stomach, plus starting to go up her neck and arms is finally dissipating.  The rash bright red, angry-looking color is barely there now, and her skin is going back to normal.

So Dr. B came in this morning and explained that they are finally seeing neutrophils.  YAY!! That’s a good sign that her bone marrow and good cells are beginning to return and she’s headed in the right direction.  Don’t get me wrong, Lanie still has a long way to go as well as another long period of chemo before the stem cell transplant, but we’re not there yet, so that is a discussion for another day.

Lanie’s hemoglobin was 8.6, and her platelets are now in the hundreds and holding.  Her liver function is normal, which is excellent because they were eight times higher than they should have been all this past week.  All her meds were changed, and she was completely taken off of anything which had Tylenol as an ingredient in order to bring the LFT numbers down.  Taking her off the meropenem, again, is what brought the rash down.  That drug is what she was having an allergic reaction to.  We’re just glad the rash wasn’t from a virus.

Dr. B stated that, once her neutrophils are high enough, and she wasn’t receiving any more transfusions, she will repeat the bone marrow biopsy and the CT scans to see whether she will have to do another round of chemo.  We know she still has the tumor in her mouth although it is massively smaller than her initial presentation, and one in the gallbladder.  Dr. B said these tests will take placed early next week, maybe not exactly Monday.

Tonight, we posted a video of her getting her hair buzzed off when it started to fall out.  You can see this video here, then click on “Read the latest update.”  Also, Lanie and Jordan have designed logos for shirts that they will be selling to aid in her medical fund.  She will need a lot more to keep up her transportation to and from the hospital, and she is clearly unable to work.  So this is a way for her to be able to give back to all who choose to help her.