Abby Update - Monday Morning

First, I want to thank everyone for your kind words and prayers regarding my daughter, Katie. I will always miss her. Always. When I miss her the most, I try to focus caring for her brothers and sisters in a way that would make her smile. Thank you for praying.

How is Abby doing? Hmm... it is complicated. The simple answer is she was still pretty tired most of the day and had moments were she was grumpy but there were also moments when she smiled and played. After her blood transfusion she even laughed and danced.

Abby's bone marrow is wore out and confused. We want to suppress it some because that is necessary to destroy the remaining cancer cells but if her immune system is too low Abby won't be able to fight even simple infections. We want to give every bit of chemo we can without making her so weak an infection would take her from us. We normally find that balance by adjusting her chemo dosages. Unfortunately, it looks like the medication we are giving Abby to lower her intracranial pressure is doing a number on her bone marrow too. Abby's white blood cells count is dropping fast and her red blood cells are so low she needed a blood transfusion today.

It appears that the medication is beginning to keep her pressures down but if it keeps Abby's bone marrow so weak that she can't take her chemo, we will have a big problem.

Abby's chest xray showed some slight changes in her upper airway that may be from a bacterial infection. She is now on a third IV antibiotic. I am hoping that this clears up some of Abby's breathing problems.

Abby has decided watching Pooh videos 30 times in a row will be the perfect cure for all that ails her. She has surrounded herself with all things Pooh. It would drive me absolutely batty if it didn't make her smile. Abby is spending her day watching Winnie the Pooh and I am spending my days watching Abby. It is the perfect way to spend a day if you ask me.

Thank you for continuing to pray for Abby.