And we interrupt this infanthood again...

I haven't posted in almost three weeks now. And no, I'm not bragging, just making an observation. I've had several things I wanted to write about flit through my head, but I must have two windows in my brain open--one for ideas to flutter in, and one for ideas to flutter back out--because I've already forgotten them all. And yes, I attribute that travesty of a metaphor to my recent lack of writing practice.

One thing that probably won't be flittering away (that's the last time I'll use the image, I swear) any time soon is today's blood test result. Today was the first day Eden has been back to the blood clinic in a month; assuming her test went well, she was scheduled for a long-delayed VCUG to check on the enlarged ureter the doctors discovered back when her general health first spiraled down the drain. And don't ask me what any of that means, although VCUG would be a great name for a death metal band, if any of you are thinking of starting one. And Ureter would, I don't know, make a good name for a pitcher for the Royals. Or something.

Well, guess what: Eden's VCUG was postponed (again). And guess why: that's right, her platelet count is down (again). And guess how low:

57.

How she went for 8 weeks strong--her previous test was last month, 8 weeks after her most recent transfusion--with no problems, only to drop precipitously in half that time, I have no idea. Or rather, the hemotologist had the idea that I was looking for, which would be that Eden might've had a virus that knocked her system off track. And, in fact, she did have a virus: Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (that was one of my missing posts! I knew I'd remember eventually), which sounds like she'd been hanging out at the wrong leper colonies but really just means she had some cold sores on her lip and a diper rash. Who knows, maybe she just caught one-third of the virus.

Anyway, the hemotologist said that HFMD, otherwise known as coxsackievirus A16 (another good death metal band name), usually isn't serious symptom-wise but can play havoc with an immune system; almost all kids who catch it have their platelets knocked about while trying to recover. So I guess the good news is that this may not be ITP related as much as a case of bad luck and timing. The bad news is that Eden has to go in for another batch of IVIg tomorrow; this will make Round 3 (or is it 4? I can't remember anything anymore) with the transfusions.

So for those of you who usually skip to the end of these posts to see the pics, Eden is sick again, it may just be one of those things that happen, and she's getting pumped full of antibodies one more time tomorrow. And hopefully, hopefully, that will finally be completely and totally it.

But I'm not holding my breath.