The sound of a silver lining

Day 20: ANC back to 0.4 so the clock resets for having at least three days of an ANC of 0.5 before going home.  Today they gave her GCSF to help spur the production of white cells.  For reference the normal range for ANC is 1.9-8.7.  On the other hand her platelets are happily multiplying.  They jumped from 28 to 37. That represents 37,000, normal is 150,000-350,000.

Annie's low platelets restricted seven years of her childhood.  Low platelets prevented her from doing sports where she could fall or get hit by a ball and from riding a bike.  Where sports were out, the arts were waiting with open arms.  She spent that same time enjoying all types of dance, musical theatre, drama, singing and playing instruments.  It's interesting to think if she would have developed these interests had she not had to quit the sports she enjoyed before diagnosis.

Music has come through again during her hospital stay.  Annie's guitar was too big for playing in bed so she got a ukulele just before entering the hospital.  There is a music therapist that visits once a week and her first session with Annie was transformative.  After the therapist left, Annie changed the "I don't want to be here" message on her "All About Me!" sign to "I play ukulele."  Since then she has preformed a little concert and started giving lessons to a friend.  Here's a snippet from her repertoire.