Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Crowley Boys!!

Well, unfortunately I was right. John took Eli to the ER at about 1am on the 28th. We were kept a couple of days to be sure the fever didn't come back and to give him some antibiotics and we came home the afternoon of the 30th. They did check Eli's immune globulin level and it was quite low, so he got an IV of that before we left the hospital. This is called IVIG and hopefully it will help him with the colds and whatnot around this time of year. The hospital stay was fortunately uneventful and we were home for New Year's. John was on vacation so the boys were taken care of, so things worked out. We didn't go to Atlanta because John and I both really want to avoid having to go to an unusual hospital...so we will try another trip there during Spring Break when cold and flu season is at an end.

We went to the clinic today and here were his counts:

ANC 680
Platelets 166
Hemoglobin 9.8

These numbers are decent. The ANC is low enough where we probably will try to avoid lots of people. I think this may be our routine for the remainder of the winter. Our onc. was pretty happy with the numbers, she said you want the ANC to be about this number because it means the meds are working. (This is what JOhn always says, but I would rather have the numbers high) Next week we will have our LP, so it will be a long day. We switched antibiotics at our request. The one he was put on in the hospital was starting to cause "gagging" issues, and John and I were both terrified that Eli would begin to vomit again. The meds have gone so well recently and we don't want to mess that up.

Today marks our one year "anniversary" of Eli battling this disease. It amazes me how much I have grown as a person and how my family has grown. I have been a witness (either by way of clinic or my discussion board) to no less than 10 children that have died.....I have watched my baby suffer and felt helpless, I have cried out to God to help my child and the others in this same position. I have been supported by incredible family and friends whose vocabularies now include "ANC, LP, and ALL". I have had people that we know and many that we don't praying for Eli and our entire family.....and.....we have gotten through it!!! I won't go as far as to say we are better for it, because I truly wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy, but we are getting through. We are at the one year mark and I have an energetic three year old that drives me nuts!!! I know that through suffering we are made into the people that we should be, and I see that in my family. My children are so much more understanding of anyone that looks "different" from them, as they are now used to a brother that walks around with a mask on his face!! Anyway, I guess this is my longwinded way of saying, Whew!! we are one year down, two and a half to go.....then a few more being anxious...but I am so thankful!!!

Thanks for checking in.

Maria