Quick Return Home

Yesterday morning went quick for us.  After the doctors came in to tell us Jordon was ready to go home there was lots to learn since Jordon is receiving IV chemo at home two times a day for three days.  They administered Thursday's first dosage at the hospital.  The process is similar to that of the administration of the IV antibiotic that I did a couple of months ago, but with a lot more safety precautions.  Since chemotherapy is hazardous, any spill is dangerous and is treated like that of a mercury spill.  They provided us with a hazardous waste bucket for our home and other safety equipment.  A home health nurse came to Jordon's room and showed me the protocol for administering the chemotherapy.  Jordon has a local home health nurse (that showed me how to administer the antibiotic), however there are not any chemo certified home health nurses locally, so training had to take place in the hospital.  All these precautions for my safety and I am dumping this stuff into my child's body, directly through his central line.  Sounds contradicting.

Before we left they did a CBC (Complete Blood Count).  Jordon numbers were slightly below what they would consider as an immune system (anything under 500 is neutropenic, or no immune system, Jordon was 484).  Some doctors don't allow kids to go home until their counts recover, but Jordon did not have a fever and his doctor's think that he will come back up for a few days before he bottoms out again next week.  This has never happened before.  But he has never went 3 weeks in between treatments.  So when they explained why to me, it made sense.   His numbers go up when we give him the Neulasta (immune system stimulating shots), but go back down when he is off the Neulasta because of the lingering effects of chemo.

So the plan is to enjoy being home for the next couple of weeks.  Hopefully the weather will be decent (not going to count on it) because with Jordon's immune system and the illness going around school we won't be sending him to school.  Jordon's next scheduled date to return to Children's is December 6th for another PET scan to monitor the residual tumor.  Jordon's next chemo is December 13th.

Prayers for a long stay home, prayers for good results on the PET scan, and prayers against short and long term side effects.  Praises for continued good results, praises for Jordon being well, praises for the many blessings we have.

Please add a special prayer for a friend of Jordon's at the hospital.  His name is Robbie (there is a picture in an earlier blog).  Children that battle diseases are amazingly strong, please pray for them.  They couldn't do it alone, and we are thankful to have so many prayer warriors out there for us.

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.  I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21