Post BMT day 271
+271
It’s been a while week since a Tate update. Lots of fun things happened for Thanksgiving week. Tates Grandma Carol came from Florida and TJ, Drew and Keira all drove home from college in WI for a few quick but really great days. We haven’t had a holiday in a while where we were just able to all be together and focus on family. Such a blessing! Tate thoroughly enjoyed having everyone here and pushed hard to keep up with everyone.
Friday we went into the mountains with some sweet friends to cut down our Christmas tree. It was a beautiful bluebird day and the mountains are definitely our happy place. Tate did amazing! She walked more than I’ve seen in ages and loved getting a 4 wheeler ride to keep up with the rest of us traipsing through the woods and loved most of all interacting with both kids and dogs! overall, through the weekend, Tate ate more and was awake way way more than usual. Truly a Thanksgiving to be thankful!
Last weeks labs showed that Tates HGB improved 3 points with the two units of blood she received. That’s right on target. Hoping the rbc/HGB & HCT continues to hold steady. However, her white count/neutrophils continue to fall. Tate has several days of appointments this week including ultrasounds to look at the swelling in her knees and ankles, pulmonary function tests and BMT appointments with labs. Praying her counts have turned around and start to do what they’re supposed to. Her bone pain continues to be a problem. Tomorrow will be the second time she gets off fentanyl in just over a year (whoo hoo!) We’re replacing it by increasing the dilaudid, adding a nerve focused pain med and a new narcotic. Not even close to the ‘get off all pain meds goal,’ but happy to be off the fentanyl.
We continue to keep Kody’s family in our prayers as they work out the details to fly him home from NY sometime this week. It’s been a tough couple months of loss with two precious friends and Tate’s grandpa. The comfort comes in knowing they all 3 are healed and happy in heaven. Facing so much loss brings the fragility of life into full focus. We’re so grateful to hug Tate daily while our hearts weep especially for the pain Kody and Chloe’s families trudge through daily. We love you Stevenson’s and Schmidt’s.