DOT +26

Hello all...dad again. Today was a very exciting day at the transplant clinic. Patrick's lab work reflected a .5 point jump in his White Blood Count. We were hoping for an increase from the neupogen shot he received yesterday but didn't expect that big of a jump. The doctors were pleased too. He received another neupogen shot today and will probably continue to receive them daily until his WBC increases to target levels. Once they stop the shots, we hope the WBC will be stabilized on its own. If it is, for 3 days post neupogen therapy, that would be a good indicator that the donor cells have engrafted. That is of course our desired outcome. At this point we are able to test to learn the percentage of host VS donor cells which will paint a clearer picture of the path ahead of us. Of course, we are praying for a high percentage of donor cells when that happens!

After 3 1/2 hours of IV antibiotics and vitamin supplements today, we headed home. Patrick suffered more bone pain today because of the neupogen shot. He said it wasn't as bad as yesterday though. We walked a mile around the apartment grounds, even though it wasn't very comfortable for him. Exercise helps stimulate cell growth so we have to do it regardless. Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers.

"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference"

Winston Churchill

Dan

Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: he will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

- Psalm 37:3-6

Labs from today:

Test	Patrick	Normal Range
White Blood Cell Count	0.7	3.2-9.8 (this will go to zero)
Hemoglobin	8.6	13.7-17.3 (they try and keep it above 8.0)
Platelet Count	13	150-450 (they try and keep it above 10)