Have you prayed for Jack Jack today?

First, the bad news: yesterday Jack's ANC count dropped to zero.

But then Damond amazed me when he told me the "good news." Since the count was at zero, the only place it can possibly go is up! His outlook inspired me and made me smile. What an amazing attitude to have. Jack is truly fortunate to have parents who can stay so positive in the face of such circumstances.

Jack's ANC had climbed back to the mid-40s today. He still has a long way to go before he reaches 500, but at least he is on his way. Please continue to keep him and his family in your prayers. It has been a very long week at the hospital and your thoughts, well-wishes, encouragement, and prayers are so very much appreciated.

Bringing the outside in

Yesterday Anneli mentioned how much Jack Jack missed going outside. Spending 24 hours a day in a tiny hospital room is a real drag for a little guy who is used to fresh air every day. So today Elin and I packed a picnic lunch for them to enjoy, complete with a blue gingham blanket and wicker basket. Lots of visitors dropped in during their time on the floor, including the outstanding CCLS professionals who always bring a smile to Jack's face, and a funny clown who awed Emma and Jack with her plate-spinning abilities. The fun lunch was a hit...now we just need to figure out how to bring in the grass, fresh air, and sights of spring to make Jack miss the outside a little bit less.

Happy Jack

Emma enjoyed a visit with Jack at the hospital today. He beamed when she walked into his room and did the cutest little happy dance. They enjoyed sharing time with Mommy and cuddling together. It was so nice to see him smiling, giggling, and cozy. Emma can't wait until Jack Jack comes home!

Medical Update From Anneli

So we saw Dr. Rifkin (Jack's doctor) this afternoon and this is the update:

Jack's blood tests came back negative which means he does not have a bacterial infection but he more than likely has viral infection.

His ANC (White blood cells) counts are very, very low. They went from 209 on Monday, to 112 yesterday to 40 today.

The good news is that he has been fever-free since last night and his counts are slowly starting to rise. But until they are over 500 he will not be able to leave the hospital... and until his counts are above 750 he will not be able to start his next treatment phase.

To be on the safe side, Jack is still getting antibiotics every 12 hours and the music therapy he had this morning also helps him keep up the fighting spirit.

Jack's doctor thinks there might be chance he will be sent home tomorrow or on Friday. Please keep your fingers crossed that his counts will go up fast as Jack is definitely ready to leave the hospital and we are all ready for him to come home:-)

XOXO,
Anneli

Easter Update - A Note From Anneli

(Click on pictures to enlarge)We had a lovely Easter weekend. We first got to enjoy Easter brunch with Elin's family visiting from Sweden and then Emma and Jack hunted for Easter eggs in our back yard. This was later followed with a delicious Easter dinner at a dear family friend's house.

Emma and Jack wore really nice outfits thanks to grandma.
Yesterday morning (Monday), Jack was at the Valerie Center to start his next treatment phase (Interim Maintenance) when they discovered that his ANC was low – only 209 which is real concern as this means he is really prone for infections.

In practical clinical terms, a "safe" ANC is 500-1500; a low ANC is less than 500. A safe ANC means that the patient's activities do not need to be restricted (on the basis of the ANC).

ANC stands for the absolute neutrophil count, the number of white blood cells (WBCs) that are neutrophils.

Neutrophils are key components in the system of defense against infection. An absence or scarcity of neutrophils makes a person vulnerable to infection. After chemotherapy, radiation, or a blood or marrow transplant, the ANC is usually depressed and then slowly rises, reflecting the fact that the bone marrow is recovering and new blood cells are beginning to grow and mature.

As Jack's ANC did not really rise from last week, his doctor scheduled a blood transfusion so that Jack would feel better and we were told that he would go home later Monday afternoon and that he would be “ready to rumble”.

Unfortunately, Jack started running a fever (100.9 F) around lunchtime, which meant that he has to be hospitalized for 48 hours with antibiotics in addition to the blood transfusion.

This also means that Jack was not able to start the next treatment phase.

Cancer is not fun at all and we are slowly learning to adapt to the uncertainty of never knowing what each day is going to bring. The good news is that Jack is in good hands and as you can see in the pictures he had fun celebrating Easter and he is having an equally good time together with daddy at the hospital.