Day One - Julian is admitted to Children's Hospital. . . .

Studio Session from Studio on NE 87th in Redmond.

HCT=19.4 | PLT=36 | WBC=10.3 | ANC=515

Received a call from Julian's Mom (Jerre) saying that she was taking Julian from his Family Doctor to Children's Hospital. Jerre said that the Family Doctor thought he was very anemic, and might need a blood transfusion. There wasn't that urgency in her voice, other than possibly worry about blood supply contamination (very rare these days in the US). I told her I would meet her there, closed up the Studio and swept Josie up and headed to the car. Anemic? That would have explained Julian being so tired, but the headaches? My daughter Marie called me in tears right as we entered onto SR-520. She said Julian might have Leukemia. My heart was breaking already.

Leukemia when I was growing up was a death sentence. The times I did read about it seemed even more confusing. Recalling something a read years ago, it was a blood cancer. How in the hell do you stop something that is not only moving, but moving through your body?! Hope was sinking fast. Thoughts were racing through my mind on the way there. Denial with a different spin - "Who said there was an urge on my part to even learn how to spell LEUKEMIA, let alone read something on it?! It seemed like it took me three hours to get to Children's Hospital.


Julian at Lake Chelan

Julian swimming in Lionsgate.

Not knowing what was going on was the worse part. I was met there by a Dr. Ho (was is a fellow in the oncology field) who informed me that no tests had been done, so the conclusion was not positive. It could be an infection. Yes! A glimmer of hope, but this wedge of glimmering light was shrinking like the light struggling to get into a slowly closing door in a child's dark bedroom. He pushed and prodded Julian's enlarged kidneys, liver, and spleen I remembered watching his face trying to detect anything. Nothing. Then he checked Julian's lymph glands under his chin and neck. Still nothing. I reminded myself never to play this man in Poker. Somewhere the number shrank to 2% chance of an infection. In my mind he had it. Then someone said don't give up hope, Craig. My view is that whenever a person who has been in school longer than most people work before retiring says anything higher than 90%, you have what they are looking for. It is like when an expectant mother gets an ultrasound and is told there is a 95% chance it is a girl - go ahead, paint the room pink. The 5% saves face for the Nurse, but 2%? The child's bedroom is now pitch black, that wedge of light isn't coming around till morning. We were now hoping it was a certain type of Leukemia. Yes, there are different types (excuse me, I said no thanks to learning about the "L" word) of Leukemia. Taking one look at Julian laying there helpless was all that was needed for me to ask for anything to describe this better.


Hanging out in Rivertrails


First set of Skates