Hi Family,
I just wanted to give everyone an update on Mom (Grandma). Yesterday afternoon I was able to go with her to her appointment with Dr. Wallantine. If you remember, she had a bone marrow biopsy on March 4th and this was the appointment to get the results from that test. Dr. Wallantine walked in the room with a big smile on his face and said, "Well, let's just get this over with," and then proceeded to tell Mom that the biopsy showed no signs of cancer cells and that she was in REMISSION!!!! He told her that although there was a remote chance that she was completely cured, more than likely the cancer would return at some point. He acknowledged that he truly doesn't know what to expect, based on evidence-based results, because there isn't much (if any) evidence for this in someone 81 years old. What this now means for Mom is that she will be monitored closely (appointments every month) where they will check her lab values and how things are progressing. He also counseled her to watch for things like bleeding, bruises that don't heal, mouth sores, marked increase in fatigue, and infections. She continues on her coumadin (blood thinner) to help with the clots in her arm, but Mom feels that they are improving. She also had a chest xray as a follow-up to her pneumonia, and we will have the results of that on Monday, but her lungs sounded clear and her oxygen saturation was 94%. Obviously Mom was in great spirits after hearing this amazing news. We as a family have truly been blessed and our prayers have been answered in a wonderful way. I, like you, am deeply grateful for the Lord's watchful care and tender mercies through this whole process. Mom and Dad send their love to all of you and thank you for your constant prayers in their behalf. We hope you all have a wonderful and meaninful Easter.
With much love,
Laurel
P.S. Here are the results from Mom's blood work yesterday:
WBC--4.12 (Normal 4.5-11.0)
RBC--4.35 (Normal 4.2-5.4)
Hemoglobin--13.6 (Normal 12-16)
HCT--40.6 (Normal 37-47)
Platelets 178 (Normal 140-440)
Neutrophils 61.2 (Normal 37-80)
Absolute Neutrophils 2.52
Her blood chemistry (sodium, potassium, etc.) were all within normal range.
Terrific, isn't it?
