May 6th, Day +10, NOT AT ZERO ANYMORE

"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all."

2nd Corinthians 4:17

We got the wonderful news early this morning that we've been waiting to hear.  Hunter's white blood count was 0.13 this morning.  That means that Hunter's baby cells are starting to do their job.  We are excited, thrilled, relieved, thankful, and any other happy word you could think of adding.  There is no way you could wipe the smile off of our faces.  

Here's Hudson's happy dance when Aunt Macey told him the news:

I'm sure you're wondering, what does a white count of 0.13 really mean?  Well, I'm not a doctor, but as it was explained to me a normal person has between 5,000 and 9,000 white blood cells (WBC) per microliter.  Hunter has been at zero, but as of his 4:00 A.M. blood draw today he had 130.  His daily blood draws will keep track of his growth.  Our doctor said they may double tomorrow, they may triple, or they may come up very slowly.  Each person is different.  It is a tiny baby step, but such exciting news that his donated marrow has started producing.  His WBC is just a small picture of what has to rebuild.      

How is Hunter feeling?  Well, he is still hurting.  His mouth feels better than it did yesterday, but his throat is still really sore.  He hasn't had anything to eat or drink today.  He isn't dehydrated because he's getting about 2 liters of fluid a day through his IV.  Hopefully, tomorrow he will feel up to begin swallowing again.  There is still lots of junk being coughed up, but it's a little bit better.  So far, he's lost about 12 pounds.  Once he gets his appetite and digestive system back, hopefully we will be able to fatten him up quickly.  We know that this is a long process, but we are excited to be exiting "the valley" soon.  Hunter has taken the news in stride, as usual.  In his mind, he has never doubted that God intended to cure him.  But, he has said his burden is much lighter today with the knowledge that relief is on the horizon.

Prayer warriors, rejoice with us that God has created the beginnings of Hunter's new immune system!  As always, we ask for prayers of protection from infection over Hunter.  It's a happy day!