Is "postponed" the right word?

Let's get this over with fast: Piper is not having her surgery tomorrow.

Like I said yesterday, we were sent back to BCCH to re-do some blood work, so that is how our day started. We weren't all that excited to spend another day at the hospital, but were hoping it would just be quick.

So, we went back to the blood "collection" clinic (sounds very vampire-esque to me), which was even more of a gong show from yesterday: just overflowing with people, and babies melting down and to boot, the water cooler has some kind of serious spillage. Anyways, they finally got her in and instead of trying to poke her in either arm, they tried her heel. Just a sharp poke and then they just squeeze it out into a tube. Wow. Looked kinda old-school or something.

Anyways, they got it and we were sent off.

Next we went to the hematologist (blood dude/specialist), which is labelled "hematology/oncology center". Not cool to be in the oncology center (aka: cancer). They just happen to work together, as they often kinda go hand in hand, but still didn't like being there.

Just a heads up, Piper does NOT have any kind of cancer. Settle.

They happened to have the nicest waiting room thus far: really spacious and kid-oriented and lots of windows. And it was really quiet, which was actually great for a bit.

So we waited there for a while, waiting for the blood to get processed and sent away for results, and in the mean time, we saw the hematologist. He was an awesome guy who made us feel really great right away and was happy to meet Piper.

Then he started with a blank sheet of paper and asked for "a detailed history" of us, her and our families. Dang.

So he asked away, all sorts of questions and we answered them as best we could, and he filled up his blank sheet nicely. He was asking questions like "does anyone have a history with blood issues or illnesses or anything like that?" and we really couldn't think of anything outstanding, something genetic that could be passed down. His questions were quite serious though, and I started thinking "oh my... this is for real. We are sitting near the oncology clinic and he is asking serious questions. Brace yourself". It was nothing really of the sort. Not nearly as serious as cancer.

What Piper does have (or I should say, doesn't have) is a lack of a certain type of white blood cells, called neutrophils.

"Neutrophils are the most common leukocyte in vertebrate blood. These immune cells engulf damaged cells, microorganisms and other foreign pathogens by phagocytosis" (thanks Anna!) or translated, there are usually lots of them in us normally and these are the guys that hunt down bacteria and gobble them up, thus helping you fight bacteria, thus helping you get better faster.

The quantity per liter is usually around 4.0-6.0 (per liter of blood). From Piper's blood test yesterday, her count was 0.01, and today was 0.28. So, she was somewhat deficient.

Somewhat is a bit of an understatement. She has no bacteria fighting power. So, you can probably see what the hematologist and surgeon would think, too: "why on earth would be operate on a otherwise perfectly healthy baby if her chances of fighting off very potential bacteria is nill?". So they decided to wait on the surgery.

Now, this low WBC (white blood cell) count could be something genetic, or congenital, or something that comes and goes, or something she'll grow out of. They just don't know. I hate that part. All along, the doctors have always known everything, pretty much, and I have been so glad for that. Now, they are a little stumped.

So, they do what doctors do and study what stumps them. We will go for weekly blood tests for a month and see what those WBC's are doing, whether they go up or down or stay put or what. I was glad that even within a day, they had gone up some. The cardiology nurse said that the absolute minimum they would like to see is 1.0, but of course, the higher the better.

We have an appointment booked with the hematologist for a month away, and we'll see what Piper's blood tells us. They have said that yes, they could do the procedure, it is just that the risk is so much higher for infection, and in this kind of surgery (or any surgery, really), any upped chance of infection is not good.

The cardiology nurse said that the wonderful surgery booking lady will call within 6-8 weeks to re-book surgery and we'll go from there. If this low WBC count is just part of Piper, then so be it, and they will move ahead with the surgery anyways, and we just have to be careful, or if it is steadily going up, we might wait until it is in a good healthy range until surgery time.

The nurse did say "just keep doing what you've been doing" in regards to keeping Piper safe and healthy. Groan.

That part has not been easy. We need to be asking people all the time if they've been sick or been close to sick people, or we don't take Piper to highly peopled places. They are worried more about bacteria than viruses, but still, any aversion to sickness is good.

Again, we have a really happy baby otherwise. She doesn't seem sick, or weak or anything. She is progressing lovely and all of that. There is just so many unknowns that we can't see.

I am torn a little. I secretly love that she doesn't have to go through surgery tomorrow. I love that I can keep letting her eat as much as she wants and I don't have to worry about a cut-off time. I love that we don't have to go to the hospital tomorrow.

But I don't like that after all of this anticipation, we wait yet again. Still, we weren't bumped, per-se, but we were postponed until Piper is strong enough to really deal with a major surgery.

I can't help but think, yet again, that our life is going to be a little different again. I had really sorta planned this time and now those plans just have to change.

I think I can roll with that. I think. I'm not mad, and have no one to be mad at, but its just more waiting. But I feel I might be getting a tiny bit better at that now. Just maybe.

To relax, I am going to a highly anticipated Tupperware party tonight and might splurge a little. I am not sure what we'll do tomorrow. We can do anything now.

Yeah, we can do anything we want, pretty much. And I do kinda like that feeling.