Blood counts today:  WBC = 5.7, Hgb = 9.6, Plat = 283, ANC = 4.6   Hooray!  This tells me something was wrong with yesterday’s numbers.

Well, we are going to get to go home today.  It has been a busy morning of packing, PT, OT and PT is scheduled to come back again.  Brian made a canvas bag yesterday afternoon…he was able to use fabric paint and fabric markers.  He colored a tree, with a bird, a nest, and I helped him with a swing and we drew Brian on it.  We painted his hands and put his hand prints on it and wrote the date he was diagnosed with ALL.  (10-8-08)  On the other side of the bag, he painted the ocean, a shark with 3 goldfish inside of it, a pirate ship with a man fishing, and a sun.  It is pretty cool…and very large.  It is full of stuff to take home.

They expect us to be out of here by 4 – 4:30.  I hope the roads do not get too bad…it is snowing like crazy.  I am waiting for the At home nurse to come in and explain some paperwork, PT, I need to run to the outpatient pharmacy, and then have Beth (Dr Patton’s assistant) explain to me how and when to give the medication.  (I think he is on 7 or

Britney’s appointment is at 9am tomorrow morning.  The aspiration is at 10:30.  She is not very excited about this.  She is VERY nervous.  Hopefully she can manage to get through it quickly without the nausea.  Pray for her to have peace and to draw her strength from God.

Brian has been up this morning sitting on the couch and was even able to look out the window.  We have walked around the unit 2 times.  This is terrific!  He is walking more normal and with speed.  (He was shuffling before)  I need to express a big praise.  He has been eating very well.  For breakfast he had:  3 pcs of bacon, 2 hashbrowns, and a bowl of Cheerios.  For lunch he had:  A slice of Turkey, gravy, two orders of mashed potatoes and a dinner roll.  I praise God for his increased appetite. 

Our pastor Randy came up to visit the other day and brought some word puzzles, word searches, scrambled words, and other fun things front and back on about 75 pages.  (Thank you Becky)  They have been on the top of his bed since.  He is flying through them.  It is cool because they are scripture verses, and promises from God.  He was just asking me about “and He took the bread and gave thanks, and broke it”.  What is that Mommy?  I was explaining communion to him…and he asked me when he could participate.  It is so neat to hear his eagerness.

Thank you very much for the encouragement and the gifts while we had the long hospital stay.  I am so thankful to be able to go home for a few days, even though I know we will be back for a repeat.  I pray that the Dr can help to diagnose and ward off some of the negative effects that the Chemo had on Brian, since we know how he reacted the first time.

Pray for me to draw strenght from Jesus tonight, as I will be his one and only nurse…and alittle unsure of myself.  Last night at midnight, he was awake crying again, because he felt like he had a bomb in his belly about to go off.  Pray that we will have the medications to take care of the pain, and that he can relax and get back to sleep.

Thanks – Jolene