Day +41- Get out of Jail day!

 Day +41- "Get out of Jail" day!

I can hardly call UCSF Benihoff a jail, but I know it certainly felt that way at times to ZiLong!  This is the day we have all been waiting for! 

First, the numbers:  

WBC: 2.2 (same as yesterday)

ANC: 720 (down)

Hemoglobin: 7.8 (down)

Platelets: 10 (down, and a platelet transfusion!)

 We anxiously waited for his numbers to be high enough to be discharged to the Ronald McDonald house.  Today came after several days of uncertainty on ZiLong's part.  As much as he liked the idea of leaving, we had been in the hospital for 50 days, and in that time he had gotten used to the schedule and had gotten to know several of the nurses and doctors and support staff quite well.  We will miss so many of them!  

Nurses like Caitlin, Jessica, Polly, Virginia and Leslie, Marianne who helped us rebuild his beads of courage after they were stolen, Child life and the Palliative care team like Caitlin (yes there were two Caitlins!), Dr Sam and newly minted (just passed her boards!!!) Dr Alexandra, and so many more it's really impossible to name them all.  

We had put together gift bags for the nurses with lots of trader joes snacks which we heard were favorites of theirs, and Leslie ended up being the big winner of the gift card from the nearly 2 month long dart game, having won the most games of any of the nurses and doctors who played!

Dr Sam from Palliative care came by to say goodbye and ZiLong had asked Jeremy to pick up a Jarritos because he knew that was Sam's favorite drink, so ZiLong gifted him a Jarritos as a thank you!

Jeremy and I took 3 (or 4?) trips to the Ronald McDonald house while ZiLong played with our friend Penny and hung out with the nurses before we finally got to take him with us!  We are so grateful to have the Ronald McDonald house to stay at and really enjoy everything about the space!