Another Day at the Clinic

Today was Terry's regularly scheduled weekly doctor visit.  Today was quite normal in some respects, but different in others.

Terry saw a man at the clinic that he recognized from a government office he has visited regularly through the past several years of farming.  He has always admired this man, especially for his willingness and eagerness to help in any way, and his ability to do so, even with a physical ailment.  We cannot share info with doctors, but when you find someone in the chemo/infusion room there is no hiding the reason they are there.  It hurts ones heart to see such good people suffer with such things in life.  We pray for him and his family.

The hospital floor must have been full today because we had to go to the second floor/surgery center for the transfusion.  Oh what a change that was.  Chairs instead of beds, small and cramped areas instead of large rooms, and nurses that are new to the transfusion routine.  They were all kind and helpful and we were out of there just after 5:00pm, so they did do their job with haste, but we sure wondered what we were getting ourselves into for the first half hour or so.

Terry did get a transfusion.
RBC = 2.92 (L)  and  HCT = 26.1(L) - these counts made the decision to have 2 bags of red blood cells.
Platelets were 4(LL) - which meant he received one bag of platelets.

Those numbers were all disappointing, however the ANC was different today.  When you look at the chart for the last several weeks you will see that the counts have been 0.0(LL).   Well, if it was different today then you know it only has one direction to go and that is up.  Don't cheer too loud and long because it only went up to 0.1(LL), but we like any little change we can get as often as we can get it.  0.0 and 0.1 are really the same count, but doesn't it just look a little better to see that 1 there.  ;)


That's about it for the news, so here is a quote for today -

image from here

 

"Healing doesn't mean the damage never existed.  It means the damage no longer controls your life."