Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Collin had his first clinic appointment back at Hershey yesterday. While I was very happy to see our social worker, nurses, and Dr. Comito, poor Collin wasn't overly thrilled to be there, as he has really had his fill of medical appointments. When we first got there, he refused to take his sunglasses and jacket off, and he wouldn't say much. As we sat in the waiting room, I said to him, "Oh good, make sure you don't smile, they don't like it when you smile here. No, no, don't do it!" Soon my teasing (and maybe some tickling) had him back to his smiling, charming self!

While we waited for Dr. Comito, Collin went to sleep on the exam table. His fatigue, along with the fact that he looked pretty pale, had us thinking that we might need to return to clinic for a blood transfusion today. When it was time to get his blood drawn, his only concern was whether he'd go home with a tubie or not. We told him the tubie would come out right after the blood draw was done, and he happily exclaimed, "I take regular bath tonight. I HATE sponge baths!" He barely flinched when his port was accessed, and later I was very happy to hear his lab results. His white count was good, his hemoglobin was still high enough that we didn't need to return for a blood transfusion, and his ANC was 3740, which means his immune system is good! The fatigue is expected following radiation, and hopefully it won't increase any more, or last for a long time.

Tomorrow Collin has his first dental cleaning. He said to me tonight, "I have go ANOTHER doctor?" As much as I hate to make him go, I know the chemo and radiation can affect the health and growth of his teeth, so it's important to get him in for regular dental check-ups. He told me he would watch me have my teeth cleaned first, and then I could watch him "be like a big boy!" I think things will go pretty smoothly; he's watched Neya have her teeth cleaned before, so it's not completely new to him, and in the end he always has a way of just handling what he has to do.

Collin's first post-radiation MRI is scheduled for the end of next week. I can tell myself that logically, with the recent chemo and the radiation, results should be good, but the fear can still be paralyzing. I keep tamping it down as much as I can so it doesn't take over, but it's hard to do. Please keep Collin in your prayers for a clear scan....I'll share the results as soon as I know them!