Walking!

Sinatra did a lot of walking today!! She found a fun toy in the 5th floor lobby to play with and is very tired now!

Today was a great day for Sinatra. She woke up happy and talkative and even started walking and standing a little bit again. Walking used to be one of Sinatra’s favorite things and she hasn’t done it for about two weeks now.

We received her blood levels from the night before and they looked ok. The one level that is worrisome is the ANC (absolute Neutrophil Count) which was 448 (12/22 it was 1044). It is preferred that this number be greater than 1000. If it is under 500 there is a high risk for serious infections to occur. In the hospital this isn’t as much of a concern as it would be if were at home. When the ANC levels get this low we would essentially need to keep Sinatra in a bubble in order to keep her safe from infections. The hope is that this number will bottom out soon and we will then see it rise again.

The generosity of others both at the hospital and from our family and friends has been such a surprise and is a little bit overwhelming. Today at the hospital there was a toy giveaway that allowed us parents to pick out a few toys for Sinatra and even Siena. We ended up walking out of that toy drive with a garbage bag full of toys and a few blankets, hats, stockings, books, puzzles, etc. The volunteerism and philanthropy at CHOC is amazing and it makes us think about how we will do this for others when our journey through treatment ends. So many people and so many groups have been donating time, money, gifts and services.