Sorry for the lack of posts this week. Brax had a very busy week, but a very good week.
Monday she had PT with Rachel and that is going very well. She also had school that afternoon which is going well too. She is nearly (if not) caught up to where she needs to be which is great.
Tuesday (Treatment Day) went well. We got into sedation early and had labs done to get her counts as this next 4 week stage is count dependent (ANC >=750 is goal). The initial quick results came back at 500, so we were a little bummed. Melissa said that final results can sometimes come back significantly different, so while we were waiting we looked over Brax’s other numbers and things looked really good, both hemoglobin and platelets. Her glucose was a bit low, we assumed from fasting for her IT chemo, so they started her on some sugar water while we waited. About 15-20 mins later final numbers came in and ANC was reporting 700 and Melissa said if she calculated it out by hand she was getting 715 and said she was OK starting based on how well things have been going. We all said ‘YES’ – let’s keep it moving. So we did start and will finish up Consolidation on May 7 – hooray!
Brax has felt really good, a bit tired, but good. We also made a decision to start her on an appetite stimulator to help her keep weight on. She’s doing ok on her own, but come end of the day she just doesn’t have much drive to eat and we know how important it is for her to keep her weight up for many reasons.
Wednesday was a lazy day.
Thursday, Brax had PT and school again.
Friday Brax worked out with Kim at home and then watched all the ex-Twisters compete in the NCAA Gymnastic Championships. Congrats to Maggie on another National All-Around Championship and Team Championship.
Saturday Brax biked 5 miles and felt really good. We also celebrated Easter with the whole immediate Battaglia family. The 4 older kids had their egg hunt in the backyard and Brax’s competitive side kicked into full gear and she found both the Gold and Silver eggs.
Sunday – HAPPY EASTER!! – The girls had another egg hunt in the AM and then Brax dyed eggs with Grandma Paulson. We did Easter lunch after church with the Paulson family and hung out around the house. The girls got another bike ride in as it was a beautiful afternoon.
This week looks to be pretty normal with treatment on Tuesday, and if no transfusions needed it will be a fast one. Hoping for another good “event free” week.