Today's good news

Steve's platelets have risen to 92,000 (up from 77,000 two days ago)! This means a few things:

• The clot in his right leg does not seem to be hogging platelets and therefore doesn't require blood thinners.
• He may have built resistance to Heparin. (Results from that blood work won't be ready until tomorrow, probably.)
• He can't have chemotherapy and Avastin yet, but he's headed in the right direction.

We'll return to the cancer center next week for another round of labs. If the platelets have reached 100,000 or more, we can then schedule the next dose of Carboplatin and Avastin.

He won't get a repeat Doppler of his right leg unless symptoms warrant the test. Right now, we're all hoping that the clot has finished growing and won't cause trouble (symptoms like swelling, redness or heat).

Dr. M is pleased with how much more mobility Steve has today compared with a month ago. She raved about the compliments she heard from the Zale rehab unit. (I wrote about Steve's awesome attitude in my column today.)

We're also setting up outpatient physical and occupational therapy appointments so that Steve can continue his progress and maintain his strength.

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Check back soon for details on a fun Damm Spot fundraiser being organized by a group of dear friends!