So we will stick to the IV Pentamadine....

Eli's try at inhaled Pentamadine did NOT go well...apparently there is a terrible taste/smell with the medicine and he screamed the entire 2 minutes or so that we tried it. I even had skittles to help with the taste..but it was not to be. When we got back to the oncology clinic there was a teenager and he does it by inhaler. He said that it really smells horrid and you have to fenagle the inhaler just right so that the mist doesn't go into your mouth and create a horrid taste along with the smell. Obviously Eli cannot do this yet. It also didn't help that in the room where he got the procedure there were NO distractions. It was basically him, me, and the nebulizer. Great. I tried to get him to color, but it just wasn't happening. So...we will stick to IV. It does take 1 hour, but it is pretty painless. He does get nauseous, but they give him Zofran as a premed, so even that isn't an issue.

Eli's counts have dropped, but they are still great:

ANC 1480 (normal 2000-6000+)
Platelets 165 (normal 140-440)
Hb 11.2 (normal 11.0-15.0)

These numbers are awesome with him being on 125% chemo now. They are really where they want them to be, now is just seeing if they can stay there or if they drop. The one number that is low is the immunoglobuling (IGG) level...this means we go next Tues for an IVIG infusion. This one is a long one, very similar to blood (it actually is a blood product) So we will be at clinic for the entire day...so glad Eli seems to enjoy it so much!

I am sometimes brought back into how serious things can be with Eli...things that I wouldn't give a second thought with if it were any of my other boys. Eli's cough is back, although he isn't coughing at all at night and only seems to cough really in the morning. BUT...since it has been around a while, we took a chest xray today. Pneumonia in these kids is such a killer that you can never be too careful. The xrays came back clear, so things are great....thanks to God for that one!!

In a nutshell, that was our day...exciting, I know.

Thanks for checking in.

Maria

I am thankful for the friends and aquantinces that I have met at the clinic. It is amazing how much support there is in simply talking to the mom next to you that is going through this as well...