Big Day

Bela and I had an especially good day today, bonding. SHE BREASTFED!!! THREE TIMES! I was so excited I told everyone who walked in to the room and teared up about it (I didn't give any demonstrations, though, so don't worry).  This is a really big deal. It means we can bond better, I don't have to pump as much, and when she come home I won't have to solely bottle feed her nor buy formula! It is also healthier for her and me!  We had tried three times before today, last week, and she just wasn't having it. But today, thank God, she did it!  When the Occupational Therapist came, because Bela's sole occupation is to breastfeed, she counted the minutes that Bela fed. In 9 minutes she took 36 ccs, a little ambitious she said, so they made me cut back to 6 minutes the next time (whatever, there's no camara's in our room!) But seriously, I obeyed because I don't want her to take any steps back at this point. TheGI team doesn't want to risk her belly getting big again.

Another huge deal today was that I got to give her her first bath. Beto and I got to sponge bathe her once before, but today the nurse actually helped me and I got to wash her hair too.  This was something that I complained about doing when Santi was a baby but now I realize how wonderful it is to be able to take care of my baby like this. 

Last night I arrived at 10:30 and fell asleep right away. I didn't wake up at all until 6:30 this morning! And then I went back to sleep for another hour! The nurse did give her Morphine last night before I arrived because she seemed very uncomfortable (Bela, not the nurse). But in the past even with Morphine she doesn't sleep that well. She and I both really needed it!

We found out today that her preliminary liver biopsy results are negative but they sent the liver sample to an outside lab and the more detailed results won't be back for about 2 weeks. Her bone marrow biopsy showed evidence of only 1% of mega carrier blasts, which basically means remission, but they will still continue with the plan for chemo. At least they won't have to increase the chemo.  They did NOT do a lumbar puncture after all. One of the oncologists took the option to do it before her next round of chemo begins, which I don't understand. I wish they'd just done it while she was under anasthesia but the dr. today didn't know why the dr. who was on call last week did it that way.  

We thought she would get to come home for about 48 hours before her next round starts, but since her body took longer than expected to recover from the first round and because they want to get started right away, they will keep her there and probably start the next round before next week.  But that's ok. I was pretty nervous about having to flush her line twice a day anyways at home.

Notice anything different about this picture?  NO MACHINES TURNED ON!!! 

She's only on milk!

Not a real smile, a "pooping smile".

waving

After her bath!

Obviously having a good dream