Day +18

I sent Sus home last night for a few days of some much needed rest. Since Linley and I are both out of school Monday she gets to spend a little extra time with her mommy.

Piper has been feeling better this week than she did last week. Her little body is starting to produce some white blood cells. That is good, but we are not close to the end yet. They rise a little then drop again and then rise a little more and drop again. The good news is that she is producing some cells. She has been running high fevers over night and today, but the doctors are not overly concerned right now. We are just keeping an eye on her. Basically, no one is going to worry about anything until there is something to worry about. So, even with fevers approaching 104 F, if here blood cultures don't grow any bacteria nothing changes. This is the case with everything right now. Sit and wait.

Today Piper got up and walked with me for a little while around the unit and then spiked a fever and slept for almost 4 hours. After her nap she played happily with markers and her baby dolls. She is doing really good right now. Always a sweet girl, just a bit grumpy at times. We are almost three weeks post transplant and we can not wait to get this kid out of this hospital and to the Ronald McDonald House where we can all sleep under one roof. The girls are missing each other A LOT right now. Each one is asking about the other and Piper always wants to look at pictures of "ninney" on my phone. Our iPads and Facetime have been such a HUGE blessing in that regard. It is not the same, but a decent substitution for the girls to see each other and blow kisses and tel each other night night.

All in all Piper is strong right now. She has asked for her mile for the first time in over a week, so I am hopeful her mouth and throat are feeling a bit better and maybe her appetite will return. Other than that, nothing much new here. We sit and wait.

Chad