Zoomin'

So here’s how Tuesday’s clinic visit went down…

We’re in Dr. Cham’s office because Hayden’s doctor is now on the ward (missed him by ‘that’ much). She enters the room, smiles apologetically, and sits down to talk with Hayden and I.

Dr. Cham: I have Hayden’s blood test results and, unfortunately, he is unable to start maintenance tomorrow.

Cindy: Huh? (confused facial expression)

Dr. Cham: Don’t worry….this is quite common. We often see delays between treatment phases.

Cindy: Huh? (no $h!+ facial expression) You mean he’s close?!

Dr. Cham: Yes, his neutrophil count is .59 and he needs to be at .75 to begin maintenance.

Cindy: That’s awesome! Way to go, dude! (hi-5 Hayden)

Dr. Cham: On Sunday when he was discharged from the hospital, his neutrophil count was only 0.01. That’s a big increase – he may be ready to go next week.

Cindy: That’s great (but secretly doubtful).

Good news, indeed…in more ways than one. If he’s ready to start maintenance (AKA cruise control) next Tuesday, he’ll have a PDU appointment on Wednesday (for a spinal injection). The first full day of grade 3 is Thursday, so he wouldn’t miss a beat. If he’s not ready yet, he’ll likely be on the same maintenance schedule as his very good buddy Dane. Either way, we’re happy campers.

Hayden's feeling great and keeping active - it's the best we've seen him after a hospital stay. And, thanks to the olanzapine, he is eating like a madman. Looking forward to a great long weekend...

Enjoy!