Good Advice

Today at Isabella's clinic visit, I got some good advice from Dr. Engel...

he said, "for the most part, most of us get too excited about the highs, and too sad about the lows-

when we should just try and stay in the middle."

I felt like this was such good advice.

I have been on such an emotional roller coaster over the past few months, 

and especially over the last few weeks as her levels have gone up and then down.

Today she hit another record high for her...

her RETIC went from 9.6 on Monday to 46.3 today!

The RETIC shows us that her body is responding and making immature red blood cells.

That is the highest its ever been, and the highest its ever jumped in one week.

Her Red Blood Count also went up slightly, which is awesome.

It is actually in the "normal" range, which it hasn't been without a transfusion.

Her ANC that was highest it's been on Monday went down slightly from .9 to .6.

And her Platelets are low at 11, but they didn't transfuse her today because they wanna see what her body will do without one.

So overall it was GREAT news today.

I am definitely taking it all, and enjoying the good news for today.

I KNOW how fast these numbers can change, and I KNOW how my high can go to a quick low.

So I am def grateful, but not getting my hopes up or getting too excited.

Obviously her little body is responding, and I couldn't be happier about that.

For how long will it respond?  That we don't know, and that's why we take it day by day.

Dr. Engel also told me how as doctors they are told to not treat/look at numbers, but to treat symptoms.

I really liked that as well, and that's what we are doing with Bella from here on out...

we aren't transfusing her unless she is showing physical symptoms.

I am nervous and excited to see how this goes...and only time will tell how it turns out.

As we left the hospital in her "blanket dress" that she designed

(wearing only her diaper and boots again-too many potty accidents than I would like)

I told Bella how her levels were up, and she put her hands together over her mouth and said

"Aaaah, my levels are up? Oh, that's great Mom!"

My heart melted.  She is just doing so good right now, and I don't want to take it for granted.

I told her we needed to thank Heavenly Father for helping her, and she agreed.

The way I feel today is simply "blessed".

Blessed to have a happy Bella, and blessed that as of now her body is doing what it needs to be doing.

I couldn't ask for more.