We were trying to remember how long this group of families has been Christmas Caroling at Nursing homes---any where from 5 to 7 years(I think), we have been singing along. The group swells and shrinks from year to year, and every year we go, during the busy month of December and it never seems convenient then when it's over we are so glad we did it! Some years we get together and practice, some years we have special musical numbers---this year we planned it and did it within a few days, had no piano and no special musical numbers. The elderly are the best, most uncritical, kindest audience ever! I love seeing our 20 plus children holding hands and talking to the residents afterwards, so sweet to see the wrinkled 90 year old hand holding the baby smooth, chubby 3 year old hand. After singing this year we went out to eat and I finally remembered to take a picture--I wish I had some of when we started this tradition but hey, better late than never! Thank you friends for keeping this tradition alive and one of my favorite parts of December.
And, drum roll, the weeks blood counts:
12/23/09: HCT 37.0 last week 36.4 normal 31-48
PLT 323 last week 460 normal 150-500
WBC 2.9 last week 3.2 normal 5.0-12.0
ANC 1,100 last week the infamous 630 the miraculous 944 normal over 1000
The normal ranges for Children's hospital are lower than the normal ranges for our lab. I went with Children's numbers because they make Jackson look better! According to the lab sheet I got today he is under the 'normal' 1800 for his ANC by quite a bit, but according to Children's he is above 1000 so---who knows!
I'm still looking into anything that can help boost his ANC but I found out this week that they don't like to give nupogen (sp?) shots to kids with Leukemia and Histiocytosis because it stimulates the White blood cells which have gone crazy and caused all the problems to begin with--makes sense but it also makes it nearly impossible to help those ANC counts stay up. I guess the Chemo is doing what is it supposed too. No one promised this would be any amount of fun, I see why!
Merry Christmas everyone and a happy, HEALTHY new year.
1 comment:
If you ever need to recruit a family to go Christmas Caroling with your group, the Miller's are in!!! Ty has been wanting to do this and I just never got around to it. Merry Christmas Noftle Family!!!
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