Yesterday morning we had a *short* 5-hour visit to the ER because Ethan spiked a fever when he woke up at 5am. I say short because thankfully, we didn't have to be admitted! He has been fighting cold symptoms since last Wednesday and so it was no surprise that he tested positive for a virus. Last week Ethan's counts were slightly under 500; yesterday at the ER his labs came back showing his counts improved to around 3500. Since he wasn't neutropenic, we were able to go home after getting a dose of a 24 hour coverage antibiotic.
And really, he's had a lot of energy throughout this virus, which is something to really be thankful for. Because he made the pre-chemo goal of 750 for blood counts, we will resume treatment and get started with chemo tomorrow - Day 29 of this phase.
So, what that means is a long day at the hospital tomorrow (Wednesday 9/3). He receives 2 chemo drugs tomorrow, with one requiring both pre and post hydration to protect his kidneys from being damaged. He is also scheduled to have intrathecal chemo tomorrow as well, but since he still has a small lingering cough from his cold, his team will make the final decision tomorrow on whether he will be sedated or not once they get a chance to examine him.
In addition to tomorrow's chemo at the clinic, he will have IV chemo at home on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and also start a 14 day dose of an oral chemo at home. Next week will be a similar regimen. Now that we are able to resume his treatment he will not have to make any "blood count goals" until we start the next phase. There are 4 weeks of chemo ahead and two weeks to recover before we start Maintenance.
As you can see, there is a lot ahead for Ethan in the coming weeks. Please continue to pray for our precious boy - for stamina and strength. For protection against the harsh effects of chemotherapy. For that joy of his to remain. This feels like a bit of a "home stretch" before we get to the next phase and we need your prayers for strength and endurance.
Praying!!
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