Elle continues to be very cute and doing well. The key blood indicator that we watch (ANC or absolute neutrophil count) to show her progress on how the chemo is working is starting to drop to the level where she is classified at most risk of getting a bacterial infection. Maddie was neutropenic on day 11, but the doctor says that Elle dropping this early is in the same range as some of the other children in the study. If things continue to go well and if Elle’s levels start coming up, there is a some hope that we can go home earlier. There is some risk that the drop is due to an infection, but we are watching her temperature and demeanor carefully.
Fernando somehow figured out that Elle likes the song Smelly Cat from Friends. Here is Elle smiling, doing her new sucking sound, and finding her hand.
It’s been 4 days, and I have only left the room once. It actually isn’t that bad since Elle is a good sleeper. My days are divided by reoccurring activities that last between 15-45 minutes:
- Feed Elle
- Put her to sleep
- Actively play with her
- Ignore her (other parents may call this allowing her to develop independence by playing alone
- Actually let her play by herself and sit next to her watching
- Surf the internet with her sitting on my lap
- Carrying her around the 10x15 room
- Talk to anyone who comes through the door and not let them leave
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