Monday, April 4, 2011

Medical Report

Terry's appointment was just the normal stuff.
Here are his lab results:

WBC = 2.9(L)
RBC = 3.5(L)
Platelets = 71(L)
Absolute Neutrophils = 1.4(L)
All of these are still low, but they have each gone up a bit from last week. Up a little on any of these was a good direction.

Another bit of good news is this:
Glucose checks in at a normal count of 88 - and we even had our traditional cake and ice cream for this birthday morning breakfast. However, that cake was a white cake with a sploosh topping. Sploosh is our term for pureed peaches. MMMMMMM GOOOD! And somewhat healthy.

Calcium and Potassium are in the normal ranges today and the ALT and AST are maintaining.
His Protein level is even slightly up, still not normal, but close.

Why do his numbers jump around so much? Why do we not see any change due to the Rituxan treatments? Why are we still at what seems like early stages almost a year later? Why don't we have any answers?
Can't answer any of those questions! :) So much still to learn I guess.

We picked up our mail on the way home which included a large packet and envelope full of info from Fred Hutch and SCCA containing our schedule for the last week of this month, a survey, and info to take to the doctor, comments from other patients about their progress, etc. We'll have a lot of reading and paper work to fill out in the next couple weeks. I think the Hutch has a paper mill somewhere because they really do use a lot of it. Hopefully our answers to their questions will help - somebody, somewhere, someday!

3 comments:

Louise said...

Baby steps, but at least they're in the right direction! Hopefully you'll have some answers in a few weeks!

Becky Noftle said...

Wow, has it been a year already? We were both in Seattle doing the hospital thing---do you ever look back and wonder how you survived it all? I do.

Ellen said...

I am so glad to see the counts going up a little and will be anxious to learn what they have to tell you at the end of the month. Good luck with the volumes you have to read, digest and fill out in the mean time. Love, Ellen