Neutropenia ain't so bad

Today was a clinic day so Hayden had a blood test - he is now neutropenic. That means that his neutrophils (a type of white blood cell that fights infections) are very low. It's not bad news - it means that the chemo is doing its job....the chemo doesn't know the difference between a leukemic blast, neutrophil, or even a hair follicle - it gets them all. However, we have to once again take precautions to limit his exposure to potential infection. Surprisingly, he still goes to school. Because it's a controlled environment, he is good to go.

School is going well. A few difficult sitations for Hayden with kids in other grades who likely weren't aware of his illness, but he seems to recover quickly. And he certainly seems to be OK with his new hair style...he lifted his touque several times to show the class during last week's presentation. He even demonstrated how to access the doll's port with a needle...so proud of that boy.

Overall, his spirits are high and he is feeling well. The chemo side-effects continue to be erratic but nothing major. It's sometimes a battle to get him to take medicine in him or make another trip to the hospital but when you consider everything that he's been through...wow, what a champ...and he is in this fight to win.