All is going as planned... (knock on wood)

This was a good day!  The doctors are very pleased with Ryan and his progress!  He's been on the steroids for two days now, and the 'roid rage' is mostly under control.  Although he is unhappy with the concept of staying for months, he's taking it in stride.

The good news is that his lymph node swelling is almost gone.  Patrick said he saw dimples on his left cheek, and they think that by tomorrow or the next day, his smile and face will be back to normal.  But, just in case, they are planning an MRI tomorrow to make sure there is no neurological issues or pressure points.

His white blood count (WBC) has been all over the map today.  It was up in the 120's, then dropped down to 65 this evening, which the doctors say is expected and a positive sign.  In addition, his kidney function are stable and seem to be doing perfect.  (We have often had doctors tell us how great Ryan's kidneys are... which is kind of funny:  'Hey, you've got some great kidneys!'... who says that??)

In addition, his clotting times are better.  When we checked his numbers on Saturday, his blood was not clotting in any reasonable time, which can cause problems with excessive bleeding, especially if we need to do any procedures.  The return to normal of these times is really a good sign that his body is feeling better!

Plans tomorrow (in addition to the MRI) include a spinal tap and a bone marrow biopsy, to confirm exactly what type of leukemia Ryan is dealing with.  Apparently, they are multiple versions, so it's good to know exactly which one he has.  In addition, the transplant team is really happy that his liver and small bowel show no signs of rejection, since they stopped his immunosuppression 3 days ago.  As we've often said, Ryan's transplant is an unequivocal success and we thank God and our donor every day for the perfect match. 


In a funny sense of coincidence, the doctors believe that he may have suffered from this leukemia years ago, but it's possible that his immunosuppression and transplant may have suppressed it, and allowed him to grow bigger and stronger, before it became active.  So, the transplant gave him a better chance for treatment and recovery.  One more thing we are grateful for!


Ryan was also excited to see his visitor today!  Grandma and Grandpa made a 500 mile detour on their way back home from California to come and see their boy!  I'm sure Ryan was thrilled to see someone other than daddy!

Thank you all for your prayers!  We'll keep you updated!

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