The Kaiser Medical Staff and the Great Physician

Yesterday, I had my first blood draw since leaving the hospital. I can't say enough good things about the care I am receiving from Kaiser. I had made an appointment to have the blood drawn in the Nurse Treatment Room (NTR) at the Skyline Medical Facility in Salem. The first question I wanted to ask was, "Can you make my next appointment while I am here?" 

Not only did the nurse anticipate my question, she also made appointments for all of my blood draws through the middle of September! And that was all taken care of before she ever got around to drawing my blood. I could just drop in at the lab for  blood draws, but at the NTR, they draw the blood from my PICC line, whereas the lab would do a new stick, and new sticks were problematic when I was getting started with this whole ordeal. Besides that, the PICC line needs to be cleaned and checked and have the associated dressing changed weekly. So going to the NTR has a number of advantages, and I am all set for my visits there for the next six weeks. Thank you Kaiser. 

As to the results of the lab tests on my blood drawn yesterday, the news is all good. My ANC was 2,000, which means my immunity is in a strong state currently. My platelet count was at 475, which is actually above the "normal" range. While this result shows that my bone marrow is producing platelets actively, it raises a  bit of a concern, because I have Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) in my right calf. A high platelet count could increase the danger of an unwanted clot. Because my platelets were so low, when I was admitted to the hospital, my blood thinner therapy was suspended. I will need to check with the hematology staff about whether I need to be on some kind of anti-coagulant therapy. 

Finally, my hemoglobin was up from 8.1 to 8.3, a sign that my red blood cells with their life-giving ability to carry oxygen to my tissues are gradually increasing. In fact the RBC count increased from 2.68 on Monday to 2.75 on Thursday. In other words, I am less anemic than I was, and that will lead to better stamina and less likelihood of being short of breath. 

The bottom line is that everything that is happening is just what the hematology team has told me is supposed to happen. I have to say that I am awestruck and grateful to medical science and to the Kaiser hematology staff for the care and treatment that they have made available to battle this disease, but more than that I am awestruck and grateful that God designed my body to be able to bounce back from what amounted to seven days of poison being pumped into my body. Within three weeks of the end of chemotherapy, my bone marrow is functioning as He designed it to do. Thank you, Lord, for a body that is so resilient and adaptable. You are indeed the Great Physician. 

"...I am the Lord, your healer.” (Exodus 15:26)

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