A Bust

Well today did not go as planned.  Lucy's CD34 was only 11.  It had to be well over 40 to harvest for 2 treatments and at least 20 for one treatment.  She got another shot today and will get another on Monday and Tuesday.  The likely scenario is that her body is just not responding like it should to the G-CSF.  Her white blood count is very high, which means that the medicine is working.  However, its just not working well enough to push the cells out into the blood stream. 

We will discuss the situation with the doctor tomorrow, but more than likely she will have to have a bone marrow harvest to extract the cells.  She will be sedated and they will insert a long needle into her back to the bone.  They will manually pull the stem cells and count them as they go to make sure they have enough for both treatments.

Positive: she'll be asleep and won't ever remember.  There will be no traumatic experience of femoral lines and laying flat all day. 

Negative: it could be painful after its done and of course there are always risks when sedation is involved. 

It is what it is and as I expressed my frustration to my friend Sarah today I told her I just didn't understand.  Her response was "God does."  Simple as that.  Her words knocked me to my butt as I remembered she was right.  It could be that God is sparing Lucy the trauma of the leg line and the anger she feels towards us during and after the harvest.  It could be that, well, I just don't know.  It is what it is. 

I'll have more to update tomorrow plus lots of pictures.  My camera is at my grandparents house so no luck tonight.  Thank you all for your prayers today.  We ask that you will keep this issue in your prayers as we search for the right solution.  Lucy has school tomorrow and is so very excited.  I am praying extra hard that nothing interferes with that opportunity.  It would be such a disappointment for Lucy.