We are at home but not out of the woods yet...

What I mean is, Katherine was released from the hospital on Monday afternoon, however, she was/is still neutropenic (her counts are low, and she is highly susceptible to infection). We were elated to be coming home, however, both Dan and I were under the impression that Kateli's numbers had increased. The discharge papers were signed, discharge orders/instructions given to us, and Kateli's port removed, when I went to the desk to ask for a copy of her morning labs to have for our records. God was watching out for us, as he always is, because when I looked at the lab report, I realized that we were under the wrong impression, and I was so confused. Her numbers were not at 1000, not even above 500. In fact she was only at 300, still neutropenic mind you. In the past, this usually meant we didn't get to go home, much less resume chemotherapy, as her immune system was compromised. I was so puzzled, and asked. Luckily at that moment, Katherine's doctor walked up to the nurse's station and heard me inquire. He answered, giving me an explanation as to why her numbers had been so low the week before, but were up to 1200 both on Sat and Sun, only to drop again for Monday's lab. His explanation made some sense, but it still didn't explain why we were supposed to resume chemo at home. NOTE: In case you are curious, his explanation was that last week her numbers were low, but her immune system/bone marrow had kicked in with the fevers to make those infection fighting cells, now that she was done with the fevers, and maybe even fighting anymore infection, her bone marrow was now stabilizing to what it can normally make, so it had come back down and would build back up slowly. Anyway, so I asked if were really supposed to resume chemo...yeah...he looked at me a little confused and said "no, hold the chemo until her numbers are back up. Come back on Wed and see where she is at" He did say to continue the antibiotic, but the frequency was a bit different than what we have been doing for the last year and a half. With that we were on our way home, both Dan and I still questioning where the ball had been dropped. Had the discharge doctor not looked at her labs for that morning? Had he made a mistake in discharging us? Was the mistake in simply telling us to resume chemo, when clearly we both knew better? I was confused, but I can't lie and say that I wasn't very frustrated with the whole thing.

So, we did as instructed (by Kateli's doctor), and went to clinic this morning. Come to find out she is still neutropenic. In fact, today she was lower than she was on Monday morning. What is going on? I was utterly confused. If she is done with the fevers, has no other symptoms, and we have stopped her chemo, why is she going down rather than up. So, not the news we were looking to hear, but something we have to deal with. How?? We continue in the confines of our home, keeping her away from any possible exposure. Praying that the mysterious fevers do not return, and that none of us get sick in the meantime either. Hold her chemo another week, and this time also hold the antibiotic (apparently, it too can suppress her immune system). We go back to clinic next week, on Wed for counts again. Please pray with us that her counts start coming back up and that she is in her normal range next Wed. After this morning's appt, I was even more frustrated with the doctor who released us from the hospital--maybe not with him, but with his lack of attention to detail and giving the incorrect discharge instructions. At the same time, I was so thankful that God prompted me to ask for those lab results, so that we would know NOT to resume chemo at home. I don't even want to think about where her numbers might have been today, had we come home confident with the instructions we were given, and totally oblivious to the fact that by giving her chemo we would have been further suppressing her immune system.

How do we need your prayers?
* Please pray first and foremost that Kateli stays healthy while she is neutropenic
* Please pray that her bone marrow kicks into gear making all the infection fighting cells.
* Please pray that I can let go of my resent, if I can call it that for the lack of attention to detail by the doc.
* Please pray that we all stay healthy, especially this week

Thank you so much for coming back over and over to read updates on our little Katherine!