Negative for Swine Flu

We have definitely been experiencing a roller coaster of emotions. Yesterday, we woke up thinking it would be a lousy day because Carter had a runny nose and we were stressing about the ramifications. Then, in the evening we got a phone call from one of the cancer foundations we had applied for a few weeks ago. We are very grateful to the Beckstrand Foundation. Thank you for your help. If anyone is reading this blog who is embarking on this journey of pediatric cancer, we encourage you to apply for as much assistance as possible. It can seem like a time-consuming process in a time when you don’t have anything to spare, but can be worth it. Any assistance is helpful, there is enough on our plates helping our children survive.

Less than an hour after our call from the Beckstrand Foundation, we got “the call” from UCLA. It was turning out to be a great day after all. Of course, our adrenaline was on full steam when we received the second call from UCLA. And oh, what a let-down! We know everything happens for a reason though, and that just wasn’t the right liver for Carter. We are grateful Carter had no idea what was going on. And Bennett was just disappointed when he woke up this morning and Auntie wasn’t spending the night like we had told him when he went to sleep.

We went to the CHOC Outpatient Infusion Center today for our weekly chemo and a blood transfusion. Upon arrival, the nurse came in and said all our testing came back negative and Carter just has a runny nose. It’s so frustrating. Because of the fact that the lab was closed and wouldn’t be getting results until first thing this morning, we couldn’t find out that information when UCLA called last night. We did also find out that Carter’s ANC was zero on Monday and still zero today. So, it would make us nervous going into surgery with nothing to fight even a minor infection. This is frustrating as well though. Matt and I have told the doctors numerous times Carter’s low-point during his chemo cycle falls later than most patients. It is always in the third week. So, we aren’t really sure why they would have us discontinue G-CSF this past weekend right before his counts are about to crash. This is the drug that is supposed to keep them up, or at least help him bounce back faster.

Needless to say, we are back on G-CSF as of this evening. And we were in the clinic from 11am-4pm today with a 3-hour blood transfusion. So, hopefully this will give Carter a little more energy as well. We are also on an antibiotic they had given us yesterday. Between all of this, we are hoping Carter will be ramped up for the next call. UCLA said they will give us a couple days, and we should be back on the list before this weekend. We know the drill this time, and hopefully next time won’t be another dress rehearsal.