We received the results of Bo’s spinal MRI, and they are clear! Obviously that is the desired result, however, it does not explain why there are a few blasts still appearing in his CSF.
Bo’s blood counts are up today! His Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) was 20 yesterday and 70 today, which shows that we are entering the recovery phase. His doctor shared that we could potentially see his ANC double day-to-day. He needs ANCs over 200 for two days in a row in order to head home. They predict it could be as early as next Tuesday, and as late as Friday.
The heart echo Bo received his first day in the hospital showed 2 small heart defects. We originally wondered why we didn’t see them in our 20-week ultrasound when I was pregnant, but we learned that the openings he has are actually supposed to be there in utero, but usually close on their own within the first 2-3 months after birth. About 25% of adults are walking around with these defects unknowingly without any negative consequence other than occasionally appearing as a murmur. Our doctors have decided to repair one of them through a non-invasive procedure. This is scheduled for May 6th and is called a PDA repair. The reason they are making this repair to his heart now is that one potential long-term side effects of his chemo is a decrease in heart function, so our doctors want his heart operating in tip-top shape from the very start. We met with his cardiologist and feel peace about moving forward with the repair. Prayers for that procedure are appreciated!
We continue to feel overwhelmed with love and gratitude for each one of you. The texts and messages we receive with encouragement and reminders that you are with us and praying for us bring smiles and comfort. We cannot wait for Bo to be able to grasp someday how loved he is both by you and by God. He is a blessed boy!
