Pale Monday

I decided to call the doctor today to report that Olivia looks pale again. When we got discharged last Friday, I told the doctor my concerns about her hemoglobin level. Our scheduled appointment to go back for check up and chemo is not until Friday of this week. The doctor advised to call them if I feel there is a need to be seen before then.

We are now scheduled to come to the hospital tomorrow, Tuesday morning to get checked if she needs a blood transfusion. The doctor said they don't normally do transfusion in between the scheduled weekly chemo, but it's better to get checked. Usually the transfusion should last her at least a week. Sometimes a child may show paleness but does not necessarily mean her counts are low. The results of her repeat blood count on Friday morning was 6.4 (earlier that morning it was 5.6). When they do a blood transfusion, the doctors expect the hemoglobin to go up by 1 to 2 pts, which means she would be somewhere around 7+.

I asked the doctor too if it is normal to be receiving blood transfusions this often. At this stage of her condition, it is.

For us, it is better safe than sorry. We want to make sure her counts are not dropping dramatically.