Keep on trucking....

Matthew's platelet count was 120 today so he received his 4th round of "Chemo Take Two." He has gotten all chemo on schedule so far this time around. The first set of treatments was really spread out due to low platelet counts, so he only made through 4 treatments in 12 weeks or so. He reports that this "chemo cocktail" doesn't make him feel as badly as the first one did. In other news, Mom, Dad, and Isaac are headed to Jersey to pack up the house. We are hoping for safe journeys and that all goes smoothly.

Chemo take 2

Matthew had his 3rd round of chemo today. His platelet count was 85, which is definitely lower than we would like. They have been up and down quite a bit. Last week they were 124. He is doing fairly well with the treatments. His hair has thinned, but it hasn't all fallen out. Now it is just more like the thickness of most people. :-) His spirits are pretty good in general. I will post more when I know it.

185

I had lots of ideas for a brilliant blog post yesterday. However, if you aren't aware, I have a baby that is 4 weeks old today, and she had other plans for me. So I apologize for the delay. Matthew had his follow up at MDA yesterday. His platelet count was 185! That was higher than we have seen since this all began. He still is suffering from some abdominal and back cramping, but overall is improving. He is supposed to start a new regime of chemotherapy as soon as possible...most likely next week. Thank you for all of the continued prayers.

Waiting..

Sorry this is a bit delayed. Matthew was released from the hospital. He has been quite uncomfortable. His back has been cramping a lot. He has an spot at MDA tomorrow. Hopefully, his platelet count will be up! More to come...hopefully tomorrow.

Hello....Grey's Anatomy?

Since ER is off the air--Grey's--we might have some script ideas for you....  As our sister, Emily, says, "I am almost convinced my brother wants to be the muse of a medical drama writer."

Matthew is still at MD Anderson.  He is off of the pain pump, and on regular Tylenol.  Why Tylenol?  They use Tylenol to treat the fever that keeps spiking (last night 102).  Another issue is his resting heart rate, which has been 100 (upon entering the hospital it was 60).  This is down from previous numbers that kept setting off his alarms.  All of his tests, scans, and ekgs, have come back clear.  He has been up and walking around, and my Mom says that overall, he seems, "Much better."  They are thinking about starting antibiotics.

Another night

Matthew is having some trouble with pain/ pain management.  Therefore, he will be staying another night.  There are no other complications, and no other news at this time.

Overnight Stay

Matthew is having an overnight stay tonight, but unfortunately, it is not in a posh hotel.

The good news is, Matthew's procedure (partial splenic artery embolization) went well.  They were successful in getting his pain under control, and he was sleeping when my mom called around 8:00.  He has to stay overnight because the procedure requires that he lay flat for 6 hours.  This is because the procedure is done without any staples or stitches.  Although the procedure went well, we won't know the outcome (whether or not the platelet count rises) for a while yet (I don't know the time frame).

Thanks for the thoughts and prayers.  If all goes as planned, he should head home in the morning.  I will update when I know more.