Logan, An Infection Delay

Logan was discharged from the hospital after Round 4 chemo on Feb 2, ending 121 nights in the hospital at that point. Tomorrow, Wednesday March 2 will be 4 weeks since that discharge. The wait between other rounds of chemo was about 4 or 5 days, but Logan’s blood work has not shown he is ready for Round 5.

What’s happenin’ with ANC?

Logan’s Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) needs to be ~1,000 to allow Round 5 chemo to commence. Recall that neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that fights infection. During Logan’s time out of the hospital his ANC climbed to ~300. Then dropped back to 100. An ANC drop is an indicator that he had an infection and Logan’s neutrophils were fighting the infection as it should. Other infection indications were a sore in his mouth and a rash on his body. As reference a “healthy” person has an ANC of 2,500 to 6,000. For patients like Logan, a “safe” ANC is between 500 and 1,500. Given Logan’s low and unsafe level, those who interact with him have quarantined. And despite the vigilance, an infection got to him. Thankfully his body has appropriately responded.

Remission, still!

Last week Logan underwent another bone marrow biopsy to check for cancer. The GREAT news is that Logan remains in remission. Thank you, Lord! Logan was also tested for the infection type that his ANC was fighting, but that was inconclusive. The suspected hand-foot-mouth disease was eliminated as a cause, so we don’t exactly know what Logan’s body was/is fighting. Out of an abundance of caution, all his toys were removed and cleaned and sanitized. No ball pit in Aunt Casey and Uncle Chris’ house anymore. But in the pic above you can see that a new cozy coupe arrived. That’s so the adults in the house don’t have to push him around in a cardboard box, avoiding some sore backs.

A Battery Scare

Logan’s recovery from all that debilitating chemo is so apparent with the extended time out of the hospital. He is a normal 15-month-old with the exception of the feeding tube in his nose. Logan wanders around, babbling, and getting into everything. Including batteries. A couple of weeks ago they had a scare in which they thought he had swallowed a small battery. Soooo, what that meant was a trip to get a x-ray to make sure he had not swallowed one. Just what Amanda and AJ needed, right? Good news is that all is well -except for parental nerves. Regular toddler behavior, methinks.

Big John and Mimi

Big John and Mimi Donna have been quarantining this past week or so, looking to start helping Amanda and AJ as soon as tomorrow. A blood test is scheduled for Logan tomorrow to check ANC levels and we might see them after that test. Or maybe, just maybe, Logan’s ANC has recovered enough for readmission, though we are kind of pessimistic about that. What Donna and I are certainly looking forward to is seeing Logan in person and playing with him – wherever – after not doing so for the past month.

Our visits have been via FaceTime, but we did see Logan and Amanda and AJ on Saturday through the window of Chris and Casey’s home. Mimi had made some of her wonderful sourdough breads, one a cinnamon-raisin-blueberry and the other kalamata olive. So, so good. More sourdough bread is in process today in case we see them all tomorrow.

I have written this before, but your thoughts and prayers and kind words of support are needed, appreciated and helping. Thank you so much.