Well, once again I'm late on getting an update out to everyone, but here it is finally...

Last week, Gabe had his chemo treatment and did great all week.  He was eating and drinking and SO FULL OF ENERGY!!!  You would never have guessed that he was getting chemo at all the way he was acting which was great! 

He got out of the hospital Friday afternoon and we went to the Make a Wish Walk for Wishes Saturday morning and Gabe did actually walk in it (as well as be carried and ride in the stroller).  Then we were able to go to Palestine for Amber's 30th b-day party where he danced A LOT!  He loved the chicken dance!  It was wonderful being able to see him having such a good time and dancing and playing and popping balloons.  Sunday afternoon he started to crash and you could tell that he was just warn out finally and not feeling well.

Monday he woke up not feeling well at all and started vomitting.  He moved from our bed, back to his own bed, downstairs to Zeke's room to lay and then to the couch for a large portion of the day where he stayed until time for bed.  He slept most of the day as well.  We had to monitor his temperature constantly Monday as we knew he was on the verge of spiking a fever, but the highest it got at home was 100.1 and finally went back to normal late that night.  Thankfully there was no middle of the night trips to the hospital up here for fever.  His blood counts had been drawn Monday morning, so we knew that afternoon that he would need to come up to the clinic for a platelet transfusion and would most likely be admitted after that. 

So, on Tuesday, we came up to the clinic and his temp was hanging in the upper 99's, but still no fever.  He received his platelets w/ no problems.  His counts indicated that he was slightly dehydrated and that he was neutropenic, so that was reason enough to go ahead and admit him because we knew that the fevers would start at any time.  After being in the clinic for a few hours, we were ready to come up the the pediatric floor for our stay and had his temp taken one last time before leaving that area...sure enough, his temp had spiked to 104.5.  So the nurse drew blood cultures (which will most likely not show anything substantial).  He was started on an antibiotic immediately that afternoon.  His temp flucuated all day and would go up and then back down.  The highest it got yesterday was 105.0 and then dropped in a little over an hour. 

Today his fever has again gone up and down thru-out the day.  He did have to receive a red blood cell transfusion this afternoon as his Hgb had dropped to 6.3 since yesterday.  He has color back to him now and he has perked up since then as well.  He has played games on the computer here in the room and be kind of playful towards people who come in to check on him.  He has been cooperative w/ taking meds too.  He has still been sleeping a lot thru the day.  We do not know yet how long this stay will be, but I'm fairly certain that we will be here well into next week just by going by our previous sick admisison, which last 12 days.  He surprisingly does not have any mouth sores as of yet and has still been drinking fluids very well.  Sweet tea is his drink of choice at the moment and he has been eating dry cereal off and on. 

Thank you again to those who have been helping out w/ Zeke during this difficult time of being away from home so much.  You don't know how much we appreciate everyones help.  It isn't as easy to bring him up to the hospital like I used to as he is so quick and into everything.  He is a handful more often than not.   

We are very thankful for everyone and all you do.  Your prayers are wonderful and as hard as it may seem to be on Gabe the week after his treatments, he is actually looking very good and so we know that the chemo is indeed doing the job that it is supposed to be doing. 

We have been notified of some changes that will be taking place within the hospital starting next month.  These are going to be difficult changes and could still possibly change before then...and we are really hoping that they do.  I will leave all the details for another time when more is set in stone.  But as of now, we may have to transfer downtown temporarily until the new HEMOC doctor starts in November.  We are not happy about this situation as many are very upset about it as well.  Like I said though, things could still change before then...lets all pray that this happens. 

Thank you everyone,
Brandy