Great Numbers!

Grant went to the clinic for a CBC today. The nurses were able to make an exception to the rules for Grant. If he is just getting a CBC, they are supposed to take the blood from a vein in his arm. But last time they had to do that, it was very traumatic. Grant was screaming and I couldn't really hold him still. He was asking for them to do it in his tummy/port. So, today they just accessed his port and took the blood from there. It went much better. We were just checking his numbers to make sure they were on their way up so that he could start chemo again on Tuesday. We also needed to know if he needed any transfusions. His numbers looked amazing!! God is so good to answer our prayers and we appreciate all of you being prayer warriors for Grant. His ANC was 140 on Friday and he got 2 doses of chemo. Today it was 3390!! His other numbers were up too.
The doctor who saw him today said we could have started his next round of chemo today b/c he had already made numbers. However, I told the doctor that Grant had been complaining of pain when he urinated for the last 24 hours. They took a urine sample and ran some tests. The results they got in the office showed blood in his urine. There are a few reasons this could have happened, so they are sending a sample off for more testing. He may have to go on an antibiotic at home for a few days. But, this should not prevent him from starting chemo next Tuesday.
As a side note, Grant also went to the podiatrist today. I told him her name (Dr. Crane) so when she came in the room I said "there's Dr. ...." and waited for him to finish. He thought for a second and said "Dr. Foot!". :) Pretty funny. She said she could see improvement from his last visit and he got new orthodics for his shoes. She commented on the fact that he was wearing flip flops which are terrible for him, no support. But, I had dressed him in flip flops b/c everytime he goes to the clinic he has to take his shoes off to be weighed and measured. We just can't win. ;)

Change of Plans

Grant went to the clinic yesterday for a lumbar puncture, chemo through his port and a blood transfusion. His loopy pill seemed to hit him harder this time than it has before. He did fine with all of the treatment though. He watched a couple movies, painted, colored, and played games. He also got in a nap while his "noodle was drinking red juice." Dr. Heym was surprised at how much energy he had with his hemoglobin low. He is looking more and more like himself everyday. But, he is still struggling with side effects. He has been vomitting pretty regularly, but it doesn't seem to really bother him. He actually is the most hungry and eats the best right after. He is at least getting better at predicting when it's coming so he can get to the bathroom or a bucket. He has been very restless when he tries to sleep. He almost always wakes up crying from a nap and he doesn't ever no why. He just can't get comfortable.

Next week will not be what we were expecting. Apparently, there is a week break before he starts up treatment again. So, next week he will go to the clinic for a complete blood count (CBC) on Wednesday. If his hemoglobin or platelets are low, he will get a transfusion the end of next week. His ANC has to be above 750 to start treatment on the following Tuesday. His ANC was 140 yesterday, so he has a long way to go.

Grant has gotten to participate in a music class at TCU the last few weekends. Their early childhood development students have partnered with Cook Children's to provide this class for cancer patients. It's been good for Grant to get to do something with other kids.

Trent is doing well. He is trying to say more words and learning new tricks everyday. He wants to do whatever Grant is doing.

Low Blood Counts

Grant went in for some blood tests today. All of his numbers came back pretty low. His platelets were high enough to not need a transfusion but it had dropped significantly since last week. His hemoglobin was low so he will definitely be getting blood on Friday. His ANC was really low, so he is at a very high risk for infection. There is nothing they can do to correct this but wait for it to come up. The best thing we can do is pray. :)

Good Report

We ended up taking Grant into the clinic today to have him seen by a doctor. Dr. Davis checked him and observed him for quite a while. He came to the conclusion that it was probably a side effect from one of the chemo drugs. He said he was not concerned because Grant was showing great strength and good balance. Dr. Davis also tried to get Grant to reveal areas of pain while playing with him and Grant did not say anything hurt. Grant will get another dose of that drug on Friday, so we will see if the pattern repeats.
Grant also had a rough night sleeping last night, so nobody got any sleep. He kept crying, but when I asked him why, he didn't know. We are hoping for a better night tonight.
He will go for an appointment at the clinic on Wednesday just for a blood count. Then he will go for his scheduled appointment on Friday. He doesn't seem to have a lack of energy right now and I don't think he looks pale. He seems to be holding up well.
He has been taking swim lessons last week and this week. He really loves them and is doing a very good job. He is improving each time. Trent is going too and he absolutely loves the water. He has no problem splashing and putting his face in the water. They are having a lot of fun!

Big Church

We had a really great time going to church this morning. We so appreciate the outpouring of love and support we received. Grant was curious about the blood bank bus so we went to check it out. He barely got inside when he stopped and looked at me. The nurse inside the door was wearing a paper gown like they wear at the clinic and it was very crowded with people and "stuff". He talked to the nurse for just a second and was ready to get out of there. We talked about why the bus was there. He will tell you that it was getting some red juice for when his noodle needs to drink it. So innocent.
Grant went to "big church" with us and did pretty well. I only freaked out once when Pastor Nathan asked everyone to gather around and lay hands on us while we prayed. I think I almost hyperventilated about all those people touching us. It's ok Nathan, I forgive you. You had good intentions. ;) About halfway through the service, Grant looked at me and said, "Mama, does big church have pizza?" I have no idea what he thinks we do in "big church". So, then we had to go to Sam's and get pizza for lunch.
I will be calling the clinic first thing in the morning. Grant has been very sensitive to touch since Sat. night. He has complained of pain under his right arm (near his port). He has also complained of pain in his legs and arms when touched. This has never been mentioned as a possibility, so please pray for answers when I speak to the doctor in the morning.

Blood Donors

Alliance Community Fellowship will be hosting a blood drive and bake sale for Grant and another little girl this weekend. Grant gets credits for blood donations made in his name and then we can use those credits when he needs blood products. Grant gets his blood from Carter Blood Care. Many other organizations will pass credits on to Carter if blood is given for Grant, specifically Oklahoma Blood Institute in OKC and MD Anderson & St. Luke's Hospital in the Houston area. These organizations will just need to know his name and that he is being treated at Cook Children's in Fort Worth. If you give to Carter Blood Care, you can just give them his sponsor # SPON048145. We are not soliciting your donations, but just wanted to pass on this information to those that wanted it. We appreciate all that is being done for us, especially Grant.

Fun Times

Grant had a clinic visit this morning. He had to have chemo in his port, a spinal tap, and a shot in both legs. He got another loopy pill and is starting to get the hang of things. The spinal tap went better this time than last week. He just has to sit cross-legged on the bed and lay over a pillow on his lap. They have a tv in the room where we play a movie. Today, he just layed on the pillow. He said "ouch" when Dr. Heym put the needle in his back and that was it. He fussed a few times b/c he was ready to sit up and the nurse was holding him down, but then he would just lay back down on the pillow. It was really amazing. The hardest part of the whole process is the laying on his back for 30 min. after the procedure. They did the shots in his legs while he was having to lay flat. He wasn't able to see what they were doing. There were 2 nurses, so they did the shots at the same time. Again, he just said "ouch" when they stuck him with the needles, but the chemo is painful when it is going in. He cried while that was happening and then he was fine. About 45 min. later he went to the bathroom and saw the band aids on his legs. He asked, "What are those? Why do I have those on my legs?" He did not remember the shots at all. We have wondered how well that loopy pill works b/c he still has conversations with us and seems "normal". But, he can't walk straight and, apparently, he doesn't remember things. He is an amazing little boy! I think his loopy pill lasted all day. ;) He was being so silly and funny today. We had a lot of fun.
Grant had his blood counts checked today. His platelets looked good. His ANC (measures risk of infection) was low at 310, so he is at a high risk of infection right now. There is nothing they can do for this low number. His body has to make these itself. His red blood count was 8.1. They usually do a transfusion at 8. He will have another appointment next week to check his blood counts. He will probably have to have blood on Friday when he has an appointment for another lumbar puncture and chemo. He is not having to take medication at home this week. Yay!