Who knew that Neutrophils were so important?

Last night we had a thought: “What if they give the Chemo to him at night together with all the sedating medicine so he can sleep through it?” This way he would just sleep through the time when he would normally feel nauseated and actually be able to function during the day. Come to find out, the pharmacist and doctors were thinking the exact thing. So, he didn’t have to take any more Chemo until tonight. They say some people actually get used to the medicine. Wouldn’t that be great?

We had a few rough moments today, but over all he did pretty well. I came home tonight to put the little kids to bed and take care of some business while Van’s brother Bill is staying with him in the hospital. His brother is being his editor and scribe as Van dictates his Stake Conference talks. (Van is a counselor in the Tooele East Stake Presidency). He really wants to be able to go to Conference and give the talk in person, but that can only happen if his neutrophils (definition below) go up enough that he won’t catch every germ that is in the air. If not, President Lawrence said he would be glad to read his talk, but Van is determined to do it himself.

Definition: Neutrophils are the most common type of white blood cell, comprising about 50-70% of all white blood cells. They are phagocytic, meaning that they can ingest other cells, though they do not survive the act. Neutrophils are the first immune cells to arrive at a site of infection, through a process known as chemotaxis.