Anthony Carter was one of the greatest wide receivers ever to play football. He played for the Michigan Wolverines in college and then his best years in the NFL were spent with the Minnesota Vikings. He wore the number 81. Well, place your bets now for the Vikings to win the Super Bowl this year!!! Jo's platelets were 81,000 today. It's got to be an omen!
Yes, Jo's platelets hit 81,000 today - the highest they have been since she was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia. This is tremendous news. Her white cell count was 3.6, a full point higher than last week. Her other counts were also very good, although most of them I cannot understand well enough myself to try to explain to anybody else.
The news is not as excellent on the hip replacement front. Dr. Kelly has asked Jo to consider holding off until at least October to schedule any sort of hip surgery. This is actually comforting news to Dr. Alvarez. When Jo told him that she was ready to move forward with her hip surgery and she asked for his blessing, he was hesitant. He said, "I feel my daughter is asking me if she can go to the prom." Being the "blood guy" he would like Jo to wait as long as possible for her counts to stabilize, but he also knows that it would be unrealistic to hope for his daughters to wait until they turn 21 to start dating.
Dr. Kelly also took an x-ray of Jo's shoulders and they are also showing small pockets of avascular necrosis. Jo's shoulders and her knees all ache, but don't present nearly the problems caused by the hips. The hips are the primary weight bearing joint and the compromised bone really takes a beating just from normal, every-day activities.
Anna is on the verge of walking, which is actually making things easier around the house for Jo. If need be, she can take Anna by the hands and walk her from one room to another. Our trip to the NIH is scheduled for August 15th and 16th, and Jo will have a bone marrow biopsy while we are there.
7 comments:
Dear Jo, Tim and Anna,
What great news about your platelet count. You do not know me, however, I feel that I know you as I have been praying for you daily since Oct.,2005 when you good friend, Vickie Hunt, ask me to put you on my prayer list. This is the first time for me to read your web site. I will certainly keep up with you with this site and will continue to pray for you, your wonderful husband and child.
Sincerely,
Linda Blount
Jo,
What great news. You have been through so much it seems cruel to ask you to wait longer for your hip surgery but if you can hold up a little longer your recovery will be better. 81,000 is wonderful news. What a large jump. You are always in my prayers and I'm looking forward to the time when I will be able to go to a line dance workshop and you will be there with your beautiful smile instructing the next line dance that you have choreographed. We dance This Little Light of Mine every week in class for you and the lights shine. Give Anna a hug for all the line dancers in Virginia, and Tim,they broke the mold when you were born. God Bless you all!
A line dancer in Virginia
Dear Jo,
I first learned of you last Jan. from J. Brady at a line dance workshop. I always believe that everyone gets only what they can handle but I often question why one person has to handle so much. You are always in my prayers and we close each line dance class with "This little light of mine" in your honor. When I feel discouraged I think about your courage and determination and feel energized to go on. God bless you and keep you strong. I hope to meet you one day and dance along side you. Thank you for touching my life.
Hey Jo
I thought I should stop by to see how things are going with you and the family and it's great news to hear about your counts, etc... I remember reading in the early days of the blog and it's such a massive improvement.
I'm off to travel the world myself now, but not with dance... I'm travelling on a cruise ship as a Casino dealer (something I've been doing for 18 months already) and am going to be visiting LOTS of exciting places. I don't dance anymore and haven't done for a while now, but I still keep in touch with lots of people who still do.
It would be nice to hear from you, so if you get a moment, please stop by my website (www.pogworld.co.uk) and drop me an email. I also have a blog, which I've created just for the Cruise updates, but there are hundreds of Photos on there too from back in the dancing days as well as a few more recent ones.
Lots of love,
Liam Hrycan
Good Luck Jo! You and your family are in our thoughts and prayers. We hope you continue to get better!
T. J., Wendy, and Baby Jay Zito
TJZitoJr@aol.com
Hey Jo, It's good to know you're doing better. Hang in there. I'm sorry I missed you last time you were in town - hope to catch you next time. Anna's beautiful - she's going to be fun to keep up with! Good luck and stay strong.
Lynette
Hi Jo -
Good luck at NIH! I hope you continue to make progress towards your recovery. We do your dances every week in class! Know that you are being sent positive vibes from so many folks who have never even met you! Take care of Tim and Anna - hope to see you soon.
rms ; )
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