Update on Haylie - June 9 and blood donations
First of all, I am absolutely blown away by the amazing and overwhelming response to help Haylie. Words can not describe how loved we feel by everyone who is reaching out and trying to help. Yesterday morning was a little rough for me with needing the blood transfusion and shortage of B- platelets before her spinal tap. We certainly did not intend to cause such a hysteria though. We have had people reach out from all over the country willing to donate blood. My heart overflows. I have learned more about blood in one day than I ever thought I would know. I have learned than there is a blood shortage, especially with platelets, that usually happens every summer. I had no idea. My hope is that all the wonderful people that donated blood yesterday will be able to save many people’s lives in the days to come.
Haylie is doing great and her spinal tap went well. We are still waiting for the results but are believing for it to be clear of any cancer cells. To my understanding, Haylie will probably need a couple more transfusions this month because her body is not currently making any more and the chemo is killing them off. In the next few weeks her body should recover and begin to make healthy platelets and blood again to replenish itself. Leukemia is a cancer of the blood, and we need to kill the cancer cells and then allow her body to produce new good ones.
I found out that people can receive any blood type of platelets because they have taken all the proteins out. An exact blood match is best because they will live a bit longer, but patients can take a different blood type of platelets, which is what Haylie took yesterday when no B- platelets were available. There sometimes can be a few proteins left so an exact match is optimal so you don’t build up antibodies to it in your system.
The transfusion went well and she had no complications. Doctors want her level to be above 10 while in the hospital. Since we have been here, it’s been handing out in the teens, which doctors are ok with. They had to bump it up to 100 in order to perform the spinal tap. I don’t know exactly why, but if I understood the doctor correctly it was to have lots in the spinal fluid so that way it would keep the cancer cells from coming in during the lumbar puncture from bleeding. Not sure about that but our wonderful doctor knows and I trust her.
She gets blood tests twice a day letting us know her levels. If it starts to drop too low again, we may need another transfusion but we can’t predict exactly when. Normally it is not such a rush, but due to the spinal tap and chemo infusion, it had to happen quick. Since platelets only live a few days, it is tricky to get the timing. It takes 2 days to receive the platelets after a donation due to the cleaning process. It is wonderful to have people that are B- that are willing to donate if she needs another transfusion. The reality is that there is a shortage and lots of people need these life saving transfusions every day. I pray that God would richly bless everyone who donated blood to help save someone else’s life.
I’m attaching a few pictures from yesterday. Our cousins came to visit and Haylie was able to go to the big playroom for about 30 mins. We look forward to the progress that we can make today. She is much stronger today and has more energy because of the transfusions.
For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16
Thank you to everyone that gave blood to save someone else’s life, especially my child.
#HealingForHaylie
First of all, I am absolutely blown away by the amazing and overwhelming response to help Haylie. Words can not describe how loved we feel by everyone who is reaching out and trying to help. Yesterday morning was a little rough for me with needing the blood transfusion and shortage of B- platelets before her spinal tap. We certainly did not intend to cause such a hysteria though. We have had people reach out from all over the country willing to donate blood. My heart overflows. I have learned more about blood in one day than I ever thought I would know. I have learned than there is a blood shortage, especially with platelets, that usually happens every summer. I had no idea. My hope is that all the wonderful people that donated blood yesterday will be able to save many people’s lives in the days to come.
Haylie is doing great and her spinal tap went well. We are still waiting for the results but are believing for it to be clear of any cancer cells. To my understanding, Haylie will probably need a couple more transfusions this month because her body is not currently making any more and the chemo is killing them off. In the next few weeks her body should recover and begin to make healthy platelets and blood again to replenish itself. Leukemia is a cancer of the blood, and we need to kill the cancer cells and then allow her body to produce new good ones.
I found out that people can receive any blood type of platelets because they have taken all the proteins out. An exact blood match is best because they will live a bit longer, but patients can take a different blood type of platelets, which is what Haylie took yesterday when no B- platelets were available. There sometimes can be a few proteins left so an exact match is optimal so you don’t build up antibodies to it in your system.
The transfusion went well and she had no complications. Doctors want her level to be above 10 while in the hospital. Since we have been here, it’s been handing out in the teens, which doctors are ok with. They had to bump it up to 100 in order to perform the spinal tap. I don’t know exactly why, but if I understood the doctor correctly it was to have lots in the spinal fluid so that way it would keep the cancer cells from coming in during the lumbar puncture from bleeding. Not sure about that but our wonderful doctor knows and I trust her.
She gets blood tests twice a day letting us know her levels. If it starts to drop too low again, we may need another transfusion but we can’t predict exactly when. Normally it is not such a rush, but due to the spinal tap and chemo infusion, it had to happen quick. Since platelets only live a few days, it is tricky to get the timing. It takes 2 days to receive the platelets after a donation due to the cleaning process. It is wonderful to have people that are B- that are willing to donate if she needs another transfusion. The reality is that there is a shortage and lots of people need these life saving transfusions every day. I pray that God would richly bless everyone who donated blood to help save someone else’s life.
I’m attaching a few pictures from yesterday. Our cousins came to visit and Haylie was able to go to the big playroom for about 30 mins. We look forward to the progress that we can make today. She is much stronger today and has more energy because of the transfusions.
For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16
Thank you to everyone that gave blood to save someone else’s life, especially my child.
#HealingForHaylie
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