Good News!

Dylan’s ANC is 0.7 this morning and we are being discharged! We will spend the weekend at RMDH, keeping Dylan masked up and isolated. He is still at risk of infection, and I am really trying to avoid using his stem cells to get through this period. If we can continue the GCSF injections for the rest of the week, hopefully his counts will hold their own when we stop, then he won’t need the stem cells. He only has 2 rescues left and harvesting more is unlikely after all the therapies he has had. We need stem cells on reserve to qualify for certain clinical trials and if we decide to do anymore chemo, particularly if he has disease progression in the future. The downside of the GCSF is that it hits the platelets so hard, this morning his were only 5 and another transfusion was needed. We will go into clinic Monday morning for another transfusion and check up. We started him on Megace (appetite stimulant) and hopefully with some good home cooked meals and keeping him from risk of catching a cold, he will build up his counts again. I would like to give him the chance to recover over the Christmas period and be stronger for the next plan of action, and at this point we can, because he is stable. After Christmas, if no stem cell rescue is needed, then we can go into the radiation therapy, then after that see what plan the Neuroblastoma team comes up with. In a perfect world, it would be great if his HAMA was gone after radiation, as it would give us more options. Dylan is well in himself, and his spirits are high. You would be amazed to see this little guy, still playing and joking around, full of beans! I am overwhelmed by the guestbook entries since my last 2 journal updates. I knew Dylan had lots of support, but when things get scary for me, reading those entries gives me the strength and the knowledge that Dylan can get through this, he has so much love on his side. Thank you.