Levels Are UP!

Today I am excited and feel EXTREMELY blessed!

I took Bella in for her Friday Clinic appointment, it was my first time back since Matt gave me a break.

She wasn't very happy, she went to bed late, and she was not feelin the love...

They drew her blood and we waited for the results.

I have realized that through this whole journey I protect myself, especially my heart.

I know that nothing is certain in all of this, and even though we have seen miracles and glimpses 

that this treatment is working-I don't want to be let down if that's not what's in store for the future.

So today I didn't expect anything great with her levels, I just was hoping that they would be rising.

Jessica, the nurse who always accesses Bella's port, came in with the lab results and said smiling

"guess what, her levels are UP!"

I was shocked, ecstatic, emotional, and just in awe.

I sat there and cried as she read the numbers to me.  So much stress and worry felt like it was melting off of me.

Her platelets were at 98!

They have never been that high, they were double from the previous week, and tripled from what they normally are!

Her red blood count was at 26 which is low but she hasn't had a transfusion in 4 weeks (longest she's ever gone).

Her neutrafil count (white count) was at .4, and it has been at 0...which is very low and dangerous.

So overall she has gone up, and her bone marrow is starting to produce it's own cells!

Dr. Fair and Dr. Engle were both excited and surprised.  Dr. Engles reaction was priceless-I'll never forget it.

Bella has been on this treatment for almost 9 weeks, and since it can start showing progress at 6 months-I think everyone was hopeful for it to still work, but being realistic as well.

I'll never forget Doug telling me how some kids bodies just take longer to respond than others...

when he said that it kind of pierced my soul.

Bella has always done things on her own time, even when she was born-she came and she came quick!

I was reminded by her doctors that this is great, but this does not mean she is out of the woods yet.

Her numbers have to get to a point where she is transfusion-independant.

At that point they will not do a bone marrow transplant.

So we wait over the next three weeks and see what they do...and hopefully they keep rising.

If we get to 3 months and they are not quite high enough, but they are still progressing well-

they will most likely give her 1 more month to fully respond.

I don't know what the future holds, I don't know how she is going to keep responding,

but I do know that this has given me strength, hope, and even more faith.

I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for her, and for our entire family.

I know that he loves her more than I can imagine...and I have seen it through this whole entire journey.

I will keep praying that she can fully respond, but I also know that she is in his hands-and those hands wont let her go!

I am truly grateful and overwhelmed by today, and will never forget the feeling of pure joy I felt for her!