This week Persy had another clinic visit to have his counts checked. The next day we heard from the doctor’s office that his absolute neutrophil count (ANC) is a little low. Apparently it is not uncommon for this to drop following the MIBG treatment he received in Atlanta. It can also take the stem cells a little longer to take hold following transplant. In order to boost P’s ANC for chemotherapy we have restarted daily injections of his bone marrow stimulator. This of course is no fun for Persy, Mama, or Dada.

On Monday we will have another clinic visit to see if the injections have helped to substantially boost Persy’s ANC. If so, we can stop the daily injections. At that point the doctor will want to see his levels stay up without being stimulated by the injections. It is important that P is able to maintain an adequate ANC on his own before going in for chemotherapy.

Therefore, his next cycle of chemo has been postponed 1 week. As of now, Persy is scheduled to begin cycle 4 on March 15th. Although this has been a small hiccup in the plan, it is the first delay we have had to face in Persy’s treatment thus far, a circumstance that we do not take for granted.

Another BIG little victory… Having a lower ANC has not slowed our boy down at all! He continues to feel great and be full of energy each day, charming everyone he encounters along the way. He has been testing Mama’s boundaries this week… exploring his autonomy, as well as his size advantage over his little brother, in full. No matter how much mischief he gets into, one thing is certain. This is one happy little boy. 🥰

Please pray that Persy’s ANC goes up with the injections so that he can stop them on Monday. Please also pray that he is able to maintain his ANC on his own so that we don’t have to delay his chemo treatment any longer. 🙏