Round four here we come.....

Austin's counts are starting to come up. His white count is still low. But Patel says he can see that it will increase but it is still VERY low. Low average white count should be 4.1 and his is 0.8. So yes VERY low. And.....we need them to increase for next week. Patel wants to start another round of chemo. Cytoxin, topotecan and the Temodar drug again. Just like last time. Round four here we come. Right now his platelets are low 56. So wed or fri he probably will need a platelet transfusion. Usually they infuse when the get to 20 and under. His red cells are at 12 which is okay. They infuse when the get to 8 or lower. So steady right now. He has had a really bad runny nose, so Patel wants him back on all of his allergy meds so he doesn't end up with a sinus infection. We can't afford any kind of infection right now. Today he had a fun car ride. I decide to get going on Christmas shopping since next week we will be doing chemo and who knows where will be the next few weeks after that. Nannie would stay in the car with Austin while I would run into the stores. Part of the time Austin took a nap. We also need to get out Christmas decor up. Austin's energy level still has been high. He has been eating and drinking wonderfully. His nodes in his throat were a little swollen so Patsy was worried something is going on or he was coming down with something. Hopefully the allergy meds will help with that. His ears look great. She said there is ANY fluid in them. I think today his eye has looked the best it has looked in a while. Some days it looks different. So weird. Today when he was at Patel's office one of the staff and Austin's friends came in the room to play with him. While she was in there the came in with his shots. She witnessed how wonderful Austin takes his shots and says " I wish I was half as brave as Austin is". Isn't it so true. Man he is such a brave little boy. For all the stuff he has to go through and all he worries about is making sure his Wiggles are on TV.

This weekend we basically stayed in our PJs (what's new, we are in them all the time at the hospital. HaHa) He took good naps but he isn't much for going to bed early. Who can blame him though. His schedule always gets thrown off. Hard to keep any kind of schedule.

Patel said today, "Yes dear, we will be doing the Temodar again and you can wear gloves this time." and laughed. I don't know if I told everyone about what happened. But I we got Austin's Temodar at the pharmacy and the description never really explained really what it was. It is in capsule so I have to open it up (even though it says not to) and put it in apple sauce. Well I did this for three days. To find out when we got to the hospital and I have to give it to them there, it is a chemo agent and you are suppose to put gloves on and use disposable spoon bowl. Oh boy. I had not done this at all. In fact I prepared it in the kitchen and they said not to do that either. I made Jason come home and throw all of his spoons and bowls that were in the dishwasher away and wipe down all the counters and highchair. I kept going on and on to the nurse that you would thing the pharmacist would tell you these things and she kept saying, you mean no one told you? I said nope. So I guess someone told Patel because I sure didn't. Haha. He laughed and said he has handled this drug many times without gloves and he is okay. Then he said well, I have lost some hair. Haha. He then told be he thought I would look fine with out hair. Man he sure can make you laugh when you need to. He always says it is okay to be angry but you must then pick yourself up and move on. You can not be angry forever. I myself try to put humor in my life. You know the saying " Live, Laugh, Love". Before Austin relapsed we were having trouble controlling his runny nose. That is when we started on all the allergy meds. Then after chemo in September, Patel asked me how his runny nose was. Surprisingly it was gone. I told Patel the chemo must of cured it. Patel laughed and smiled at me. I told him, you have to have some humor in all of this. He said so very true.

Well Austin has found some of his Christmas presents in the closet and he wants to play with them now!!! I keep trying to keep him out of my closet but he keeps going back. Silly boy.

Well I better go. We go back to Patel's office wed and he did mention doing scans when his counts go up. Maybe it will be during chemo.

Elizabeth