Well, we knew it wouldn't last forever....we are back in the hospital. Eli had a little cough all week and it wasn't too bad, the doctor took a listen on Thursday when we went to the clinic and said his lungs sounded really clear, just to watch it. Sure enough on Thursday night he ran a fever. It wasn't a really high one, just 100.7, but with his counts down they told us to go ahead and go to the hospital and plan on spending the night. Today his ANC was down to 30 and he needed both platlets and red blood. The fever hasn't seemed to come back, but they have had him medicated with Tylenol all day because they were giving him blood products. We will get the blood cultures back today that will tell us if it is anything bacterial.

The question now is when do we get to go home? Apparently the different doctors feel differently about it. The doctor that was on today will send someone home with low counts as long as they seem to be doing well, but he is leaving tonight. The attending tomorrow seems to want the counts to be going in the right direction before going home. If that is so, it may be a while....but we don't know. John and I don't quite understand why it would be OK to be home now if Eli hadn't gotten this fever, so if the fever goes away, what is the problem....but ultimately we will do what the doctor feels is best for him. It was reassuring to be in the hospital today and have them run the blood work and have him need both blood products instead of me trying to guess at home. I just don't feel confident enough yet in my prognostic abilities:)

The doctor brought up the whole methatrexate dilemma today (whether we should start giving it to him intrathecally again.) Apparently there is no studies on how ARA-C works this way, all studies show the methatrexate works. But there are the brain lesions that appeared after he was given this drug. John read somewhere that brain lesions can occur if there is a mistake made while administering the drug into the spine, but the docs aren't going to agree with that. So, what to do? We certainly don't want to give him something that will cause more brain lesions, but we also don't want hims to relapse and have leukemia in his central nervous system...we will pray and hope that we make the right choice when the time comes.

I have to stop for a minute and thank everyone for being so supportive to us during this time. It is amazing to me that I can go into the hospital at a moments notice and have someone take the boys for some time while John got home, take Sam to school, give Sam lunch at school, pick both boys up in the afternoon, and help out with them during the day (all different people). I don't know where we would be right now if not for the support of our wonderful family and friends and I thank God for you each night as I go to sleep. Thanks!!!