Tuesday, Nov 24, 2015 (Day 19 from CART cell infusion)
On November 25, 2015 by Michelle LoveLast night was a little better than the night before. It’s nice to see some improvement, no matter how small. BJ’s body is still working hard. His fever went up to and a little over 106 degrees again. He got a unit of platelets last night, and again today. He also received a unit of blood. BJ still sleeps most of the day and night. He is still mostly in a confused state when he is awake. He did say a sentence today that made sense. He sat up this morning, and I asked him how he was feeling. He said, “I’m tired. I’m really tired….I’m tired.” and he laid right back down. He still gets agitated sometimes, but it seems like those intervals are less often as well. This morning at rounds, he would not let the doctor listen to his lungs, or feel for his spleen. His spleen is still enlarged, and he still has visible knots in the lymph nodes in his neck and behind his ears. He’s getting a lot of fluid, and the bottom of his lungs had collected some. He received a dose of Lasix, and that took care of it pretty quickly.
His white blood cell count from midnight was 3.4k, and at noon, it had dropped again, to 2k. His doctor said he was very impressed at how quickly BJ’s WBC counts are decreasing. It’s almost been a week that this same doctor had a dismal outlook for BJ on this treatment. I think BJ has shown him just how strong he is. The doctor thinks that BJ will be in the hospital for another 2 weeks. I know my son. It won’t be nearly that long. BJ has already proved him wrong once. I believe he’ll do it again.
That’s the kind of young man BJ is. Even though he had cancer, he pushed himself harder and harder and played football and basketball, even when he didn’t feel very well, even when he was still getting chemo infusions, and spinal taps with chemo, and taking handfuls of chemo pills every night. Right up until his early relapse, he was taking 22 1/2 chemo pills every night. EVERY night. He is a born fighter; and he has proven every day, that he is an overcomer. He stands up to every challenge he faces, head-on, and declares victory. He will not quit. He will not cave. He will not give up. He has stood up to cancer for the past 1,168 days so far. He beat it by not letting it take his faith, his perseverance, his determination, his smile. In fact, it made him even more determined to win the fight. Cancer, you didn’t place a good bet with this lovable, laid-back kid. He has never been the weak one you may have thought he was. BJ says that having cancer has made him stronger. Take that, cancer…not what you intended, now was it?!
Cancer whispered to the warrior “You cannot withstand this storm” And the warrior whispered back…….. “I AM the storm”
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