Red Cells and White Cells and Platelets, Oh My!

BOX SCORE Element Current Std. Range Trend Hemoglobin 11.4 13-17 ^ Platelets 52 140-375 v ANC 330 1800-8300 v Thanksgiving is past, and now it is advent season.  As we ponder the wonder of the coming of a Savior a couple of thousand years ago, we have the opportunity to prepare our hearts to celebrate that miraculous birth and the even bigger miracle of the Creator of the universe coming in person to reconcile His creation, including the human race, to Himself. For many, the Christmas season is their favorite time of the year. Not always for the same reasons. Some love the pageantry. Some love the music. Some love the excitement of finding the perfect gift for a loved one. Be...

BOX SCORE Element Current Std. Range Trend Hemoglobin 11.6 13-17 ^ Platelets 139 140-375 v ANC 620 1800-8300 ^ It is Thanksgiving day in the United States of America, a tradition that started centuries ago. The day of giving gratitude to the Creator for all that He has provided for us has morphed over time, changed dates, and didn't become an official legal holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November until December, 1941, when President Franklin Roosevelt signed the bill passed on October 6th of that year into law to become effective the following year. It is, perhaps, ironic that it was in that same month that The United States became embroiled in the Second Wo...

BOX SCORE Element Current Std. Range Trend Hemoglobin 11.1 13-17 ^ Platelets 163 140-375 ^ ANC 340 1800-8300 v Well, the numbers are in (as of Thursday morning). These results are not typical, but then that sounds like when you go to someone's home territory, and they say, "Oh, we never have weather like this." By not typical, I mean that when my platelets and hemoglobin go up significantly, my ANC usually follows suit, but in this case they are out of sync. No wonder only the Shadow knew what would happen this time around.  As I ponder these results, it reminds me of my conviction that medical science, in my judgment, probably knows something on the order of 1% of what the...

BOX SCORE Element Current Std. Range Trend Hemoglobin 10.9 13-17 ^ Platelets 152 140-375 ^ ANC 450 1800-8300 v We're back at it this week. Chemo started again yesterday and will continue until just before Thanksgiving. Except for the long and frequent drives to the clinic, the chemo visits are not onerous nor even very uncomfortable. We love the staff at the infusion center, and our visits there are like visits with old friends.  The Box Score is from yesterday's labs. I am encouraged that my hemoglobin seems to consistently bounce along between 10 and 11, and my platelets have been more stable. As you can see the platelets went up into the normal zone! This is not unexpected...

BOX SCORE Element Current Std. Range Trend Hemoglobin 10.8 13-17 ^ Platelets 71 140-375 ^ ANC 1250 1800-8300 v I'm a little OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). I like things to be orderly, well, except for my workbench, perhaps. Actually, I like my workbench orderly, too, but I'm often too lazy to straighten it up. But I digress. Along with my OCD, I have a fascination for mechanical things. Now, the two don't always mix very well. Among my prize possessions is a small collection of antique clocks; you know, the kind that don't plug in and don't have batteries.  My grandfather clock, built from a kit when I was in my twenties, stands 7 feet tall in our dining room. I...

BOX SCORE Element Current Std. Range Trend Hemoglobin 10.5 13-17 v Platelets 63 140-375 v ANC 1410 1800-8300 v Be careful what you wish for! The old saw has merit. We have been looking forward to the autumn rains. It was a very dry summer. Well, here it comes. We are expecting what is called an atmospheric river to pass over us in the next few days. Forecasts call for as much as 4.25 inches of rain during the next three days. As of 7AM we already have over a quarter inch of rain recorded by our backyard weather station since midnight. We had a day with 3.75" of rain a year or two ago, which was not a problem for us, although it did cause some flooding in the area. Of more con...

BOX SCORE Element Current Std. Range Trend Hemoglobin 10.6 13-17 > Platelets 86 140-375 v ANC 1550 1800-8300 v ... do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7) Yep. I hang onto this passage for dear life...especially that part about the peace of God. Why? Because it's true.  If you check the Box Score, you will see that the post-chemo fallout has begun. And yet, God is faithful. I have been here before, and I know this is part of a pattern. I knew...