Three Weeks

Today Clara is three weeks old.  Tomorrow is her due date.  I am eternally grateful to a perinatologist for getting her to me as she is and I am thankful for the blood test that gave the perinatologist reason to monitor her progress in utero.  Everything to this point has worked out to keep my little girl safe.

For the second time this week we spent the morning at the children's hospital, this time at the hematologist's office.  While we were there they weighed Clara and I am pleased to report that little girl has gained 4 ounces.  I was tempted to call the pediatrician and brag, but by Monday I'm sure she will look even better.  

After the routine measurements and chart updates the doctor of hematology and oncology made her debut.  She was a pleasant and attractive middle-ager, but she spoke to me as if I, too, held a medical degree.  She spent twenty minutes speaking a foreign language to me about blood cells, bone marrow and platelets, TMD, MDS, and various tests that needed to be performed--and she did it all with a smile.  

Once again, I retained little, but the CliffsNotes-English version of our discussion would be that as long as Clara's platelet count is low she wants to keep monitoring her through blood tests and later possibly bone marrow sample to make sure her hemoglobin and white blood cells remain at normal levels and of a normal appearance.  

The blood results from today showed normal hemoglobin and white blood cells, but her platelet count remains the same at 52,000.  As long as she remains above 20,000 no action will be taken to medically reverse her situation.  She goes back Friday.  The biggest fear is the L word, but so far there have been no signs of us taking a turn down that ugly and bumpy path. 

I am wishful that the hematologist is as thorough and intuitive as the perinatologist and good grace will continue working in our favor.  In the meantime I will continue to enjoy, kiss and snuggle the amazing little package of goodness that has blessed our lives.

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