Go to Jail, Go Directly to Jail

On November 5, we went to Kellogg for what was supposed to be a short (by chemotherapy standards) visit. When Tim goes for treatment, the first step is always a blood draw. When you have leukemia, the complete blood count (CBC) can determine the course of your treatment and your life. Tim's CBC was not good. His platelet count had dropped below 90. This was a major concern. It seemed to indicate that not only was the leukemia in Tim's central nervous system, but that it had returned to his circulating blood as well.

Dr. G. contacted the neurosurgeon, Dr. C. They decided that Tim should have the Ommaya inserted that day, before his platelet counts dropped to a level that made surgery dangerous. So for the third time in four years, we went to the hospital one morning and I was the only one that went home.

Tim was admitted to Evanston Hospital on Wednesday afternoon. We returned to 5 Searle South, the same floor where Tim had already spent more than nine weeks as an inpatient. The only good thing about being a frequent visitor was that the staff already knows us and we know them. It is very comforting to have nurses and PCTs (patient care technicians) that know both of us. We are very grateful to all of the hospital staff for their care and their good wishes.

We are also grateful to our good friend Beata, who dropped what she was doing to come stay with the boys on Wednesday. She fed them dinner and stayed with them late that night and the next while I was at the hospital.

People always ask, "How to do manage?" The answer is: we manage because we have a lot of friends. Thank you, everyone, for all your help, no matter how small. I will write more about how to help in a later post.