Update Day + 15

Another day almost done and 1 day closer to having Gabrielle back at home.

Today was exciting and nerve-wracking all at the same time.  What's really exciting is that Gabrielle now has some nutrophils in her WBC's.  Her ANC count went from 0 to 0.07 today which means that she is on her way to growing some cells in her bone marrow!  YAY Gabrielle!!!!

Every morning at 4am the nurses do her vitals where they check her blood pressure, temperature, and draw blood through her central line to check her counts.  By 8am the nurse comes back to do vitals again and that's when we get to see where she's at with her counts.  WBC's are the first to come, then her ANC's, then RBC and lastly her platelets.  The ANC's are the part of the WBC's that  fight infection and therefore very important at this stage in the game and her RBC's and platelets have a short life so she usually has transfusions every 2 days.

What's nerve wracking for us right now is that Gabrielle has caught a virus that is creating lots of sticky, white mucus that is filling up her lungs and especially her right lung.  And without having anything to fight the virus, it's obviously a big concern.  **On a side note: the name of the virus Gabrielle has caught is called the Corona virus (aka common cold)?  I thought the doctor was joking when she told me that.

After having experience with Bronchiolitus which put her in the hospital for 10 days, we asked them to treat the symptoms aggressively so as to avoid pneumonia or some kind of bacterial infection.  When it comes to any type of respiratory concern we have learned that we can't 'wait and see' with our sweet Gabrielle.  Last night we started with saline and ventilan nebulizers to help move the mucus and to get her to cough it up and hopefully swallow it or suction it out.  The physiotherapist was awesome and got her really coughing as she moved her through different positions while doing palpitations on her back.  The nurse was waiting with a suction so as she coughed it up the nurse would suction.  Meanwhile, I was wincing as I watched my little baby girl hacking up a lung (literally) and yelling with a high pitched tone 'quick GET IT!".


She continues to amaze me.  She really does and I am the luckiest mommy in the world.  Gabrielle thank you for choosing your daddy and I as your parents.  You are making me so strong and filling me up with so much love it's often overwhelming.

I can't wait to see you in the morning.