Benjamin felt much better as the day went on today. He woke up feeling sore and his tummy was tender, so I fed him breakfast and Kytril and we promptly returned to bed. We watched the newer version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It was unanimous: the original wins.
We progressed through our to-do list slowly. We also conducted several science projects. By mid-afternoon, Benji was feeling totally fine again. The Dexamethasone makes him quite excitable when he’s feeling well. I was grateful for it. It far outweighs the alternative. Also thanks to Dexamethasone, we spent quite a bit of time in the kitchen. For dinner, we decided to make one of Benjamin’s favorites, shrimp and grits. He helped every step of the way, and was super proud to feed the dish to his daddy when he came home from a very long day at work.
Tomorrow we return to the Infusion Center for more Erwinia shots. I’ll be curious to see what Benjamin’s blood counts are. A friend from the online moms’ group messaged me today after reading my questions last night. Her daughter is exactly one week ahead of Benjamin in treatment and they are on identical paths. It’s extremely helpful. She said her daughter’s absolute neutrophil count (ANC) was also extremely high on Day 8 of Delayed Intensification, but by Day 15 it had dropped to a profoundly neutropenic 200, and her platelet and hemoglobin numbers had dropped significantly as well. It was excellent information. We’ll be prepared, and grateful for the immunity while it lasts.
You have no idea what a gift your writing is. You have opened the door to your world for all of us blessed to enter. I can’t thank you enough in words for this gift. I celebrate your connection to life and all its detours. You are my hero. You have grabbed life by the b*lls and said ” here I am world – and I’m ready” !!! And I am woman/mother – hear me ROAR!!!
❤️