Super-Mom

The day started out early for Mom today after a very good night of sleep...about 6:30am her nurse came in and said that she had some good news for us.  I normally operate on "banker hours" so I was thinking that she better have some good news to be disturbing us at 6:30 in the morning when me and Ma are trying to get our beauty sleep!!  But the news was good...Mom's white cell count was finally hitting their radar, it showed up at .1 - it's not much but it's a big deal knowing that for the last two weeks or so it has been at zero. 

So what does that mean, you ask?  Well, like the previous times that she has been able to go home, they are going to be looking for certain numbers in order to feel like she can walk out of Room 1596 and not look back!  One of the key indicators is her white blood cell count because our bodies use those white cells to fight infection...and more specifically the body uses neutrophils in order to aid in that process.  When those neutrophils are at a certain level it gives the doctors the comfort level to allow her to go home and function on her own, and in an environment that is not as controlled as her hospital floor.  So seeing that at .1, although it's very small, shows that she is on her way! 

The other things they will be looking for will be whether she needs blood and platelet transfusions.  They are wanting her to get to the point where she only needs one or two of those per week in order to feel like they can let her go home...currently she is getting those almost every day.  As her body starts to recover those transfusions should start to spread out more and even if she were to need those once or twice a week she could still be at home and come to the hospital when/if she needs them.  The key word in all of that is still HOME...she just wants to go HOME!!  I stayed with her last night and my siblings and I were talking about this during the coarse of this evening...she's just sick of that bed, sick of being bothered all the time, sick of not having an appetite and having to eat hospital food when she does feel like having something to eat...she sick of being sick!  If any of you have stayed in the hospital for more than a night then you know what I'm talking about, but having to be as sick as she is and endure that is something that very few people have the willingness to do. 

I will end with this;  Today when the nurse came in with the good news Mom sat up and was very excited to hear what she had to say, especially since she was able to have such a good night of sleep.  After the nurse left the room Mom said "There is only one reason why this is happening...it's because of everyone out there praying and because Jesus is answering those prayers."  Mom can't explain it in detail because she's still not talking too much, but she GETS IT!  She knows that we won't be able to explain, and the "Team" of doctors won't be able to explain or truly understand why she is now gaining strength again and showing every sign that she is going to beat both the Leukemia and the Pneumonia.  Two weeks ago they gave her a 10% chance to do those things...so please keep praying that her miracle continues and that she continues to defy the odds.  Last time we checked neither God, nor Mom anymore, gives one care about "odds"!  After the team left today she looked at me and said "I honestly don't really care what they have to say, they are just looking at numbers"...exactly Momma, exactly!   Thanks again for your prayers, and your visits...so many of you have come up to see her or sent her cards and we can't thank you enough.  Love to you all - from Mom and our entire family!