Day +45

Sunday.  This might be the best Mother's day ever.  Riley is doing great!!  I can see a glimpse of regular life ahead.  :)
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The pre transplant chemo was even more intense then the cycles of chemo he had to put him into remission, and those were some big guns!!   The pre transplant (conditioning) chemo is meant to wipe everything out!  Cell production from his whole body.  
Riley lost his hair with the other rounds of chemo, but he still had a little hair on his legs, or a few hairs on his eye brows left.  Toward the end of a cycle, during the recovery stage, he might have a few hairs growing back.   BUT, that conditioning chemo (in preparation for the transplant), which started March 19 and lasted for 9 days, knocked him out.  He literally lost all of his hair.  Eye brows, eye lashes, everything.  Riley is thankful for his glasses.  He says they give him "character" which  he needs since he has no hair on his face.  Soon it will be 2 months since the conditioning chemo and no hair in sight.  He is so patient, but concerned with every day that goes by.  "Where is my hair?" he says.  I told him we should take pictures because that hair will be coming in any day now! 
This is my brave boy. 

 

Day +39

Monday.   Bryant comes with us to clinic appointments.  He has to, poor boy.  He is so patient and plays the Ipad.  He just goes with the flow.  His favorite game to play is "Where's my Water?" 
Riley's appointments are always at 8:30 A.M. so that the nurse can draw blood for labs BEFORE his 9:00 medicine time.  That gives them his cyclosporine level.  We then sit and wait for the lab results and then see Dr. Katsanis for a check up.  Sometimes Riley's magnesium has been low and he needs a quick infusion or the pantamidine infused.   We have gotten pretty good at waiting...

Labs today:
White blood cells:  3.7  (normal 4.5 - 13.5)
Red Blood cells:  12.8  (normal 13.5 - 17.5)
Platelets: 110 (normal 150 - 425)
ANC:  1554  ( < 500 = severely neutropenic) (normal 2,000 - 5,000)

Day +35

Thursday.   Today at our clinic visit we found out the engraftment study results.

 Riley is 100% Preston!!!!! 

Just what we were hoping for!  The new cells Riley is producing in his marrow is from Preston.  We are so thankful that the transplant has worked and Riley is looking and feeling better and better each day!  We feel so blessed and humbled.  Amazing!

Labs today:
White blood cells:  4.7  (normal 4.5 - 13.5)
Red Blood cells: 12.3  (normal 13.5 - 17.5)
Platelets: 86  (normal 150 - 425)
ANC:  2961  ( < 500 = severely neutropenic) (normal 2,000 - 5,000)

Day +34

Wednesday.  Riley and I went to the movies today while the kids were at school.  We saw "The Hunger Games".   He read the book in the hospital, so we were pretty psyched to see it.  I thought he should of worn a mask as we were walking through the mall.  He said, "Mom... there are like 2 people here."  Exactly why we made it for a 12:00pm show!!