countdown

And...so I made one. As of this morning, 40 days til *D day!

*a couples cruise 5-10 May, leaving Long Beach and headed to Catalina and Ensenada. Short, but sure to be a grand time!

kite time

Sadly, it was mostly a windy, overcast, dreary, and colder weekend. But, it was a perfect combo to fly a leftover kite from last year, and let it catch some sail under it's wings! Dare was pretty good at holding in tight as it went high!

field trip

Because it was on a Friday, I was able to help drive and chaperone Dare's fieldtrip to the Dentist last Friday. It's always a treat when I'm able to see him in his element with his friends!

dare scare

 After an hour Mon night (19 Feb) at Instacare, and 5+ hours at PCMC with Dare,  4 blood draws, multiple exams by nurses, Drs, and specialists, they said that they were going to admit him, because his platelet levels went all the way to 0. And then about 45 minutes later, came back in with a different treatment plan. So, after talking to the hematologist, they decided to send him home. But, first they gave him a hefty steroid treatment. At home he takes  two oral treatments a day... so much better!! It's a diagnosis called ITP.   He has been given strict instructions that he has to be a quiet kid, keeping a very low profile, because he has no platelets at all, and any kind of cuts, or head trauma can be very serious. He's a healthy lil man in all other aspects...

And, it all started last Sat night when we noticed excessive bruises all over his legs, then the next day they were on his hips and back, and huge ones covering arms, and belly Mon eve. 

So, the steriod induced mania is not so fun, but sometimes comical. He didn't, and still doesn't act sick. So, now that there's more than not, indicating that all is headed in a positive direction,  we feel ok about it all. It was so random.  I took him in again Sunday (25 Feb) for yet another blood test at Primary's, and his pediatrician called me Mon eve to let me know that his levels were back up barely into the normal range, but I'll take it even if it's just barely. So the elevated concern surrounding his activity level and whether or not he is injured is not nearly as severe and we can rest knowing that obviously the medication is working. So it wasn't really until about that Mon night that I started to breathe easier .It was so crazy scary! And a really high level of concern in all of the specialists that kept coming in and out of our room at Primary's was of leukemia or some kind of child cancer that is rare. But as it is, I will take the ITP diagnosis, although it's super rare and it's hard to know how to treat, what I know now is that if it happens in a child, it is very treatable, and most often it has been noted when it does occur, that it is a one-time occurrence, with little to no concern of a reoccurrence. Normal platelet range is anywhere between 150K-450K. At Instacare they tested at 15K, and then 1.5 hrs later at PCMC they were at 0. 

They are now at 160K, and hopefully still rising. It should be a singular, isolated, one-time occurance. Dr. Paul was on the phone with me several times that night (even all the way to close to midnight...ilovehim) reassuring me, that if indeed it turned out to be ITP, that he's never seen it occur more than once in a child. He finished LAST steroid dose tonight, so we're feeling victorious 

Should be ok from here on.