May 9

Madelyn was at Island Hospital on Monday afternoon for a CBC and ALT lab work.  Her counts are still where they want her to be... i.e.  the optimal immuno-suppression.  I am still waiting to hear how her liver is doing...


Hem 34.4    WBC 2.2    Plat 266    ANC 1,232


Platelets and Hematocrit are a little lower than usual, but still in the normal range.  ANC did not go down much from her recent chemo increase.  I suppose we'll be looking at another increase in a couple weeks.  She is definitely feeling the increase on Mondays.  (This is when she gets the double dose sometimes triple dose of chemos).  We have started routinely giving her Zofran (anti-nausea meds) the evening she takes this battery of pills and first thing in the morning.


Madelyn has been more tired than normal this week - for it being a good week.  It may be her new medication - Gabapentin - she started to take for neuropathy in her feet and ankles.  This should stop (we hope) after her system gets used to it.  Peter and I feel the Gabapentin (or Gaba Gaba as it is known in our house)  is helping though.  She hasn't complained of pain, hasn't had a falling episode and is noticeably running better.  


MJ was finally able to start Little League this week and in usual Kuhnlein fashion we were all there to cheer her on - including our close friend Ashley.  MJ is super, super excited about playing!  And for two people who don't know anything about sports Peter and I think she is pretty good (We don't know when the Super Bowl or World Series games are even on TV every year).  Man can she throw!  She's pretty good at watching the ball, she has no fear of sticking her mit out there to catch it and can really wack it!  I asked her if she wanted to go play with me the other day and she said:


"No Mama.  You and Daddy aren't very good at throwing the ball to me.  Let's call Grandpa Jim and see if he can play."  And so we did :)