Fever

Mollie woke up this morning with a low-grade fever. By the time we got to clinic, it was 103.1! Since she was neutropenic (ANC 615) last week, we thought she would end up in the hospital.

Her ANC was 6800, so we got a pass! She got a dose of rocephin (antibiotic) and Tylenol and ibuprofin and got sent home with strict instructions to come back if she seems worse or still has fever tomorrow morning.

She won't be going to school tomorrow, but if she's better (and we hope she is!), she will go back on Weds.

Our "good" thermometer broke and I think the one we're using now reads on the low side so I may need to go out for a new one. I'm off to take her temp right now...

Weekend Round-Up

So far, so good. Mollie hasn't gotten sick (well, she has a runny nose/cough, but no fever) and Lucy is on the mend.

The big event for this weekend was Girl Scouts' 'Thinking Day'. Thinking Day has a global theme; girls participate in activities and projects to honor their sister Girl Scouts/Girl Guides around the world. The theme this year was "together we can end extreme poverty and hunger". Mollie's troop chose to honor the country of Kenya. They learned a little about the country and its people and even learned a few words in Swahili. Other troops chose different countries that are affected by extreme poverty. Overall, it was a good learning experience. The last part of the day was a the drum circle. A group came in with drums and percussion instruments for all the girl scouts and leaders. They taught a few different rhythms, the history of drumming, and how different instruments and individuals can work together to create some neat sounds. They called it 'empowerment' drumming and it really was a positive, team-building experience. And Liam slept through the whole thing!

Back to school tomorrow... hoping for a healthy week ahead.

Almost Done

So... how is everybody?

Well, Lucy is still sick. She's very subdued and we can tell she's miserable. I'm going to take her to the doctor this afternoon because she has a fever now- I think she might have an ear or sinus infection. Update: She does have an ear infection, so now she's on antibiotics.

Mollie has been doing very well. She went to school on Wednesday and yesterday she stayed for the whole school day plus the girl scout meeting afterwards! She's going for half day today and then she gets her last dose of dexamethasone tonight. The month the steroid pulse has been so much better than last month. Who knows why? She does have a runny nose and I've heard there is a stomach bug going around school, so I'm steeling myself in preparation for Mollie getting sick, but still hoping that these bugs skip over her.

The rest of us are doing fine at the moment; we're trying to figure out a schedule and we're doing a lot of handwashing! The weather lately has been dreary-- some sunshine would be wonderful so we can get out of the house!

Clinic Update

We have all the ingredients for a perfect storm:
- neutropenic cancer patient on steroids
- sick 2-year old
- newborn baby
- tired mama

All we can do is hope for the best and use lots of hand sanitizer!

Mollie had clinic today and her ANC is 700 (that is the automated count- we're still waiting for the manual count). So, she's probably neutropenic & susceptible to infections. Her platelet and hemoglobin numbers are normal though, so the low white count is probably just a sign that she is fighting off a bug. She got her monthly IV vincristine today and we are waiting to find out if she will continue her oral chemo. If her manual ANC is between 500 and 750, her chemo will be cut back to a 50% dose; if her ANC is <500, she will stop chemo until it recovers. She is on dexamethasone (steroids) this week, so that should help her counts recover.

Unfortunately, Lucy is sick with something. She is feverish and lethargic. Trying to get her to cover her mouth, wash her hands, and be careful about spreading germs is just about impossible, but we are trying our best.

We had a nice day yesterday, though. We went out for lunch and then to the local art museum. Mollie brought a notepad and colored pencils (thanks GCW for the supplies and Matt for the idea) and made a few sketches of some of the paintings. Note to self: sign Mollie up for art class!

Made It

Mollie made it through the rest of the week just fine. Thank goodness she didn't get sick!

She has really been enjoying Liam; she can't wait to come home from school and hold him. And he loves her just as much. He just gazes up at her and never fusses when she's holding him. That gives me a little time with Lucy. I feel lucky to have such great kids!

Mollie heads back to clinic on Monday for IV chemo. And that means the start of steroids too, so I'm not looking forward to this week.

Have a nice weekend!

Angels

Mollie has been so lucky to have wonderful chemo angels. Every week for the past year, the chemo angels have sent a card or small gift for Mollie. We don't usually write back (it is so hard to find the time!), but Mollie talks about her chemo angels often and she truly appreciates getting those special packages in the mail. I think Mollie realizes this is more than the special treats- it is knowing that someone is thinking about her and taking the time to show they care.

Mollie's tenure with chemo angels has ended- due to the long duration of treatment, they can only support leukemia patients for one year. But Angel Susan and her daughter sent Mollie a special Valentine package that brightened her day yesterday!! They are such thoughtful, caring people.

If you have the time and energy, please consider being a chemo angel for someone else. It is a big commitment (the program administrators check in monthly to make sure the angels are sending something every week), but it is such a wonderful program that really makes a difference in the lives of cancer patients.

Fingers Crossed

Mollie woke up feeling "weak and dizzy" this morning. She was also feeling a little unwell at school yesterday, so I'm keeping her home today. So far, no fever or symptoms other than a stuffy nose.

Update: As it turns out, Mollie is feeling a little tired, but mostly wanted to stay home from school because other kids in the school are sick and she's worried she will get sick. Matt and I are totally on board with this (well, I would rather she was just honest and upfront about it from the very beginning rather than saying she felt sick). Her circumstances are different; other kids get a cold and stay home for a day or two; Mollie gets sick and can end up in the hospital for two weeks. So, she can stay home today, and we'll see how it goes the rest of the week.