popsicles and blood counts...

First of all...check out this picture!! I absolutely LOVE it!! It was my sister's idea to take it yesterday afternoon when we were all outside eating popsicles. It doesn't get any better than this!!

Secondly...Kaidan's counts are still great, however, they are dropping. Her hematocrit (healthy red blood cells) and platelets (clotting) are great at 36.2 and 315 respectively. Her white blood count was above 4.0, but it's now at 3.4 (still really good for a cancer patient), and her ANC has gone from 3,200 Sunday morning in the ER to 1,900 today!! That is the count we watch the closest. It is Kaidan's immune system. 1,900 is a great number, the doctors want it to be around 1,500. If it gets below 500 she is automatically inpatient if she gets a fever. I'm hoping her counts will stabilize and they will be great again next Wednesday, but this is a very familiar trend and I'm worried that she is going to bottom out because we increased the dose of her chemo...remember, this chemo is a delayed effect drug, so it takes about a week for it to affect her counts. She just started it last week, so next weeks labs will be the true test. I'll keep you posted, in the meantime have a wonderful 4th of July!!

P.S. We are in the beginning stages of planning an "END OF CHEMO PARTY" (I'm trying to think of a different name for it). I want this to be a celebration for Kaidan, for all she's been through (simply amazing that she still smiles), but also for the rest of us. I would like to celebrate the simple fact that we made it, we are still sane (I think), and we are a closer family than we ever have been! I want it to be for Preslee, for the awesome sister she has been. And, last but not least, I want it to be for all of you who have supported us, loved us, and helped us through the hard times!! We couldn't have done it without each of you, so...THANKS!! We have tentatively set it for the 17th of October, but that is the deer hunt I have just learned, so we might be changing it, but for now that is the plan. Put it down on your calendars and I will be giving more info as we plan it.