Skele-Gro - BMT +13

Remember in the second Harry Potter, when Professor Lockhart accidentally removes Harry's arm bone instead of repairing it? And then Madam Pomfrey gives him a medicine called Skele-Gro and she says, "growing bones is a nasty business. You're in for a rough night, Potter."

Yeah.

So apparently growing bone marrow isn't something that works overnight...
And it's a nasty business.

Sam is doing a-MAY-zing at his engraftment. 
He has a WBC (white blood cell count) of .5 and his platelets and hemoglobin WENT UP which is unheard of. ("Unprecedented" and "ahead of the game" were the words the doctor used.) Go cells go!

But he still has some other miscellaneous and somewhat mysterious ailments, in particular the high fevers and a repeated pain in his side. So they threw some steroids at it and we're holding onto a wait-and-see-attitude. He felt much better today but still pretty lousy, so most of the day was spent in bed, sleeping and resting. His temp stayed down (yay steroids!) and kept his blood pressure and heart rate at mostly normal levels too. 

A visit from the hospital teacher actually perked him up! (See, this is the Cancerland version of a back-to-school picture.) He really likes her, and I know that he actually enjoys learning even though, like most kids, he's not a huge fan of homework.

So today was a way better day than yesterday but it still isn't up to Sam's usual standard of well-feeling. Today the doctor said to me, "not only will we take it one day at a time, we might even take today 6 hours at a time." I'm totally good with that. I don't mind reassessments and course corrections and audible calls (how 'bout those mixed metaphors?) as long as I know that the doctors are up to their usual stellar standards. I continue to appreciate that no matter how miserable my little boy is, he is doing really well by the measure of the day and with all that's going on. He might not be cracking jokes or even so many smiles, but he's still a little bit snarky and he is still Sam....and for that we are truly grateful.