Diagnosis: Leukemia; December 14, 1987

I woke up at nine o’clock. It snowed last night about five or six inches. Alex was really excited. Charlie and Alex went outside to shovel the snow.

Alex came in at eleven o’clock. I made him hot chocolate and made our lunches.

I got ready to go to the hospital. We left at noon and arrived there at twelve thirty.

They were behind schedule, I guess because of the snow.

We saw Alex’s doctor at two o’clock. I told her about Alex’s sleeping habits. She said it had nothing to do with Alex having Leukemia. Dr S said it’s just a phase he’s going through. I really don’t believe it. I can see different signs which shows Alex is more insecure. He doesn’t like to sleep alone and he comes into bed every night. He doesn’t’ like going to his cooking class anymore. He doesn’t like to leave us. He’s started to hold a Kleenex and sucks his thumb a lot more. The way he holds the Kleenex is like a child holding a blanket.

Dr. S suggested we lock our door at night so he couldn’t get in. She said you have to be very hard with him. Quite different from what Dr. W said. He said we would just have to work through it slowly.

Right now I’m not going to worry about it. I don’t let him sleep in our bed when he first goes to sleep. Maybe when he feels more secure he’ll sleep in his bed all night.

I’ve also noticed that he likes to do a lot of hold and hugging. Alex takes his bear in the car with him which he didn’t do before.

The doctor sent his prescription for Chemotherapy then we waited for about half an hour.

We left at three o’clock. We got Alex’s prescription for his medicine he takes at home.

We got home at four o’clock. Charlie decided he wouldn’t go to work.

I started to cook dinner at four thirty. We ate at five thirty. After dinner I went to the mall.

When I got back I got Alex ready for bed. I went to bed at eleven o’clock.

Tests

WBC 3.1
HGB 13.3
Platelets 452 000
ANC 1,922

Medicine

Bactrim 11:00 a.m. ------- 8:00 p.m.
Mercaptopurine ------ ------- 8:00 p.m.
Methotrexiate ---------- 4:30 p.m. --------
Prednisone --------- -------- 8:000 p.m.

Temperature 35.68C 11:00 a.m. 36.17C 4:30 p.m.