We've been enjoying our time at home this week and decided we'd better update the blog...since it's been awhile! Rachel has enjoyed the freedom of no "IV Pole" tagging along beside her everywhere she goes. She is still on one IV anti-fungal medicine, but luckily it's only once a day. She's also enjoying the "expanded" cable we have at home. Love that hospital cable, but after watching some of the same movies for 3 months, it's time to move on!!
We had a busy day at the Bone Marrow clinic at Primary's today. They started with a pulmonary function test, a fancy name for seeing how strong her lungs are. They also drew 17 different blood samples...thank goodness for her central line so she didn't have to get poked a billion times! Good news is her ANC (absolute neutrophil count) was 1200 today! Hooray! It's still not much of an immune system, but it's much better than it's been!
Then we went down to RTU for a bone marrow aspiration. Waking up from that wasn't so great this time. The anesthesia leaves a feeling/taste in her throat that literally gags her until she throws up! So her pink bucket became her best friend for the afternoon. She's feeling better tonight though and even ate dinner with us.
I have to share a crazy thing that happened the other night at the BYU women's volleyball game. Rachel was wearing one of her traditional knit hats with the ear flaps. Cosmo, being the playful mascot that he is, came up from behind and pulled off her hat and ran down the aisle with it! Meanwhile, I think Rachel is having a seizure or something as I look over and she's scrunched down in her chair, trying desperately to pull her hood from her sweatshirt over her peach fuzzed head! She was ready to skin a certain cougar alive!! I'm sure he was just trying to have fun and if he ever did figure it out, I'm sure he wanted to crawl in a hole! She can laugh about it now, but you don't want to tango with a teenager who's not quite ready to model her new bald-ish doo! We keep trying to tell her bald is beautiful! But it's easy for us to say...
--Marie
Oh my what a story!!
ReplyDeleteThat must have been so hard for her!!
Keep me posted on how it all is going!
Is there a set date for the transplant?
Love you guys! Miss you,
Shelley
That's great news about Rachel's immune system! We'll keep praying that it keeps going up. As for Cosmo, shame on him. :) I'm sure he probably about died when he realized what he did. But Rachel, you are beautiful, with or without the hat!!
ReplyDeleteI think that Cosmo will definitely have to be working his magic to get Rachel on the BYU volleyball team someday, and then, and only then should Rachel think about forgiveness. Tell her that I will learn how to hunt just for her. That makes me so mortified..not for Rachel, but for Cosmo. What an idiot! I will say this though, it's hard to see out of that bulky costume I am sure. But, Rachel, you are beautiful. Hair does not define a person. Stand proud.
ReplyDeleteOh, my - what a story about Cosmo. We should tell him he needs to shave his head in order to make up for his little prank. So glad to hear about the numbers. And Rachel turns 17 tomorrow! What a day to CELEBRATE! I hope it is the best birthday ever!!!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh I would have totally killed that Cougar! We saw you guys at clinic yesterday and I wanted to say hi but little miss Livi Lou was so ready to get out of there. We had been there for 5 hours! Hope we get a chance to see you again!
ReplyDeleteIf that didn't convert Rachel to the Utes it should have! SKIN THE COUGAR and GO UTES!
ReplyDeleteRachel, Bald Is Beautiful and I know it's easy for me to say, but you should be proud. You are a FIGHTER, not a victim.
Keep your head up and keep up the fight. You are awesome!
ps, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOMORROW!
(I cried like a baby all day on Millie's 5th a few weeks ago and I'm sure your mom will too, be sure to give her a GIANT HUG, she will need it!)
LOL!! I am with Amanda, no better time to cheer on the Utes! I can't imagine being 17 and losing your hair. 17 is such a delicate age when it comes to these things, but 17 is also the best age when it comes to these things because 16 yr olds also can be pretty defiant and rebelious but what we "should" look like. Bald is Beautiful! Sporting your bald head can be an empowering way of telling cancer to beat it! I PROMISE you there is not one single person in this world young, old, even the hottest guy in the world that won't think you are spectactular and beautiful! Because you are! Anyways!!
ReplyDeleteAnd RAchel HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! I am so glad you are home today to celebrate!
Marie I just found out today through Alysse Barber's blog about your daughter. My prayers will be going out to you and Rachel. -Melissa Seaton
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