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16 April 2009
MICHAEL LAWS
LUCY'S DADDY
UPDATE ON LUCY - Thursday, 16 April 2009
I'm posting this on Thursday afternoon - Lucy, Theo and their mother are on the way home from Auckland after Lucy's bone marrow biopsy this morning.
She 'phoned me just after noon to say what fun it had been - she had gone to sleep, and when she had woken up the needle was gone from her side! I think that she is now going to demand a general anaesthetic every time her portocath is accessed or deaccessed. Can't blame her!
Starship child oncology itself is very overcrowded, Leonie reports. The combination of renovation, taking every child cancer patient north of Nelson, and a glut of child cancer reporting - has pushed them to the gunwhales. Of the two options: being at Starship or being at Wanganui hospital, I think Leonie is now convinced that the latter is the better option.
The key specialist looking after Lucy says that he is relaxed with her progress/reversals. He says that this is not abnormal among child cancer patients and that includes extensive hospitalisation. Her neutrophils had recovered to 0.50 on Tuesday but halved yesterday.
And the initial bone marrow results show no leukemia blasts - so that is very positive. The tests for various viruses will continue but the thinking now is that if they are there ... then that explains the lack of progress. And that we will just need to wait a little longer for recovery.
That's the thing about being parent to a child cancer patient - you're aware of the dangers and every alarm only makes you more aware.
Anyway, the great news is that Lucy, Theo and Leo are coming home later this afternoon. Home as home - not home as Wanganui hospital. Lucy seemed very chirpy on the 'phone after theatre - but, then again, she always is. She is irrepressible.
Cheers
Michael
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