05/30/2026
UPDATE
Well, we had a good run. When chemo patients get very neutropenic due to low white blood cell counts, even the smallest illness can cause a neutropenic fever due to being severely immunocompromised. A normal ANC is between 1,500 and 7,000 and Blaise’s was at 200. Because of his low blood counts, they have held off on his daily chemo this week to give his body a chance to recover. If a neutropenic patient gets a fever greater than 100.4° it requires an E.R. visit and a 2-3 night stay in the hospital as they treat for possible infections.
In his 4 years of cancer treatment, Blaise has never experienced it…until now. Doctors and nurses exclaim that “it’s a miracle” he hasn’t had to be admitted for a neutropenic fever yet. (That’s because our God is the God of miracles). Blaise got a runny nose and cough and began to run a fever that hovered between 99-100° on Thursday and Friday until about 10 o’clock last night when it creeped up to 101.6°. His doctor instructed us that if it went over 101° that we needed to bring him to the E.R. at OU Children’s Hospital in OKC, so that’s where we are now.
We left home around 11:00pm and arrived at the E.R. about 12:30am. They got us in immediately and accessed his port to rule out an infection there. They drew blood for labs and immediately put him on an all-encompassing I.V. antibiotic. They gave him an all-over physical assessment looking for bruising and rashes due to low blood counts and did a nasal swab. At 4:45am they had us admitted and got us to a room. Once again, they did an all over assessment of his lungs, ears, nose, throat, and skin. His nasal swab tested positive for rhinovirus. — he has a common cold. We finally got to sleep at about 5:45 this morning. 🥱
As of right now, they anticipate him being here until Monday morning as they run tests to rule out any infections that could be hiding, to continue the antibiotics, and possibly give him some blood.
PRAYER REQUESTS
• Blaise’s blood counts recover
• the virus runs its course quickly and without issue
• no more runny nose and sore throat
• doctors release us as soon as possible
❤️🚀🎗️