Week Seventeen

With each passing day this week, the kid has been feeling stronger and looking better, although he’s still really pale. Most of last weekend he spent as a lump on the couch but he finally got up and moved around. He even began thoroughly cleaning his room, a sign of vitality.On Tuesday his counts were still trending down and Dr. Massaro he was likely at his nadir this week. They gave him platelets and fully expected him to need red blood cells on Friday. Sure enough, there was no question about it so yesterday he received two units of blood plus more platelets.We spent part of the week making certain we had plans and backup plans in place for the coming week, when we attempt to go to Kate’s Graduation, leaving him with his Uncle in Redding. Fortunately, Brooke, his oldest pal, will is home from college and willing to take him to Clinic on Friday.Meantime, last night Robbie learned that tiny Kasey Mitchell, only four, had passed away from leukemia on Monday. She was often at the hospital when Robbie was in for his rounds plus we’d see her and her mom Christina at clinic. Robbie and Christina chatted a lot since they were often next door to one another. When I didn’t see them on Tuesday I was surprised given how regular it had become but now we know. This is the first patient concurrent with Robbie’s treatment who has died while others he now knows have been back with recurrences. All reminders of how perilous this journey can be.