Lucky #9

So it’s Lucky #9… The neutrophil dance must have worked yesterday because NINE DAYS LATER, we are headed home!  As I sit and write, Jake is juicing up on platelets, yet again, so we can leave this afternoon and make it through the weekend.  His ANC is still really low at 170 but they are giving us our Freedom Card and we’ll take it!  That means the kids will strip and shower when they walk in the door from school!!  Usually they don’t let Jake leave until he hits 250 – 500 after a neutropenic fever hospitalization.  For you and me, this would signal something really bad going on, but for a cancer patient, they are considered out of the “severly dangerous neutropenic zone” and heading toward “normal”.  In no way is he free and clear to go into the big world of germs and crowds but he can go back to the isolation of his own home.  (In case, you were wondering, a healthy person has an ANC of between 2500 – 6000.)  We have a few days home and will be back here for the day on Monday so we will rest and enjoy.  The past couple of days, we were both hitting some low spots, the isolation and loneliness is hard and not seeing a discharge date in sight wears on you.  But as I like to quote my friend Scarlett… “tomorrow is another day”.  AND IT IS!  Jake is telling everyone that walks in our room that he’s going home, we’re all smiles!   Thank you all for praying… I know there were a couple of big prayer requests that circled yesterday among my church ladies and I’m so thankful.  Thank you to EVERYONE of you for lifting Jake up, my heart is full of joy today, I wish I could hug you all and you could see the happy dance going on in here this morning!