WBC as in White Blood Cell count. Two Mondays ago, January 10, 2011, we had Owen's pre-admission bloodwork done. Surgery was scheduled for 1/20/11. On Tuesday, January 11, I received a call that O's wbc count was 29. Anything between 10-15 is normal. The drs. wanted him in for bloodwork the following day. January 12, we take O for bloodwork late in the day. At 10pm, the dr. calls and tells us the wbc count is now 32. Now we have to bring him to the pediatrician and have repeat bloodwork the following day. January 13, we have bloodwork done and we see the pediatrician. WBC count is 37.5. January 13 is the night before my grandmother's wakes. I was planning on going to dinner with my cousins. Instead, I head to the hospital for x-rays of O's chest. His breathing had been a bit labored, so everyone is expecting a lung infection. We go to the hospital, have the x-ray and are sent home with no concrete diagnosis. We are given antibiotic on our way out the door. Maybe there is a spot on his lung, maybe not. January 14 we go to the wakes all day, but we are expected to go for bloodwork following the funeral on the 15. And we do. Now the wbc count is 25.9. Okay, antibiotics must be working and we are on our way down. Bloodwork on the 17th comes back at 25.8. Wait, that's only .1. No one is happy, least of all O, who has been stuck for a week straight. Surgery is cancelled. Pulmonologist wants to see him and the x-ray from the hospital. Pediatrician wants an ultrasound of his feeding tube and recent surgical sites. I take him to both. Pulmonologist sees a partially collapsed lung and some infection. I feel relieved. We all decide to leave O alone until January 24, this past Monday. I take him for bloodwork on Monday. His wbc count is 19. His g-tube site is infected. Could that be the reason? Maybe. No one is thrilled that we found the real reason for the high count to begin with. The lung infection should have been cleared up with the antibiotic and if it were viral, the numbers should have behaved differently. Everyone is stumped. But, they have decided to put him on more meds and allow him to have surgery. I am just exhausted from this all. The emotional energy that goes into two pre-surgery weeks is amazing. Anxiety, fear, waiting, anticipating. Then it's cancelled. Do it all again and then it might be cancelled. I am not sure if I am thankful it's not or what I feel. I am sure in the back of my mind the entire time he is in, I will be having nightmares about wbc counts.
Please, as usual, keep O in your thoughts and prayers on Thursday. Keep all your fingers and toes crossed that he comes out of this perfectly fine and that he heals quickly. Thank you.
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