Low Neutrophil, Low White Blood Cell Count

It's been a busy week.  Our sixteen week old granddaughter's white blood cell count dropped tremendously and she had to go to the children's hospital.  We've spent a few long days watching her counts drop, rise, drop.

Long days in a tiny hospital room.

And long nights trying to sleep and not to think.

In the meantime, we've learned a lot about neutropenia.  That is when your neutrophil count, part of your white blood cell, is low.  A good count is 1500.  When you hit 500, you go in the hospital.  Sophia's was 216 at the doctor's office.  The next count we had in the hospital was 90.  So we were frightened.  And once she had a visit or two from the hem/onc doctor, we were very frightened.

We've learned that when you get sick and your white cells begin fighting the illness, you naturally deplete your count and it can take a month to get them back up.   Many times, your count is low and you don't know it.   Since Sophia had a blood test, we knew it.  But hers were/are extraordinarily low and much too reluctant to rise.

All of her tests this week lead us to believe this is just a virus.   Due to no fever in 48 hours, she will come home for awhile and remain quarantined.  We'll recheck her numbers on Monday and see where we stand then.

In the worst case, there could be a problem with white cell production in her bone marrow.  That does not look to be the case with her at this point.  So for now..... we pray.  And love.   Eat/Pray/Love?  Not sure about the eat part......

Update:  When Sophia visited the doctor and had her blood tested again, her white count was back to normal!  She is fine and the doctor said he'd like to get in touch with our prayer line.....