Striving for 0.1

Our eviction from the hospital was dependent on Charlotte clearing the methotrexate from her body. Nurses would draw labs every 24 hours to check the level of the chemo and the magic number was 0.1. After the first blood draw, Charlotte's level was 4.89.

Oy. The Saturday or Sunday departure date felt a lot more realistic when we saw that number.

We felt like seasoned pros at the hospital this time. Starbucks VIA instant coffee (not sponsored), knowledge of the Family Resource Center & its private showers, awareness of the hot water spigot the nurses hide in the back, and approximately 14 duffel bags with clothes, games, books, markers, & snacks. In my not-so-humble opinion, Charlotte also had the cutest bed on the floor.

Charlotte was excited to go to "school" each day we were there - it was nice to have a little routine. We'd get a brief break while she was in the classroom and she'd seemingly be in a better mood upon picking her up. On Thursday, she was the only kid in class, which she thought was pretty cool!

When Thursday's test results came back, we were astonished to see Charlotte's methotrexate level was at 0.27! Maybe there was a chance we'd get discharged before the weekend. Like everything else with this experience, Connor and I were trying hard not to get our hopes up.

We had labs scheduled earlier in the afternoon than the previous two days, which we took as optimism from our team. That being said, we were warned that after the first decline, the methotrexate level often stabilizes and doesn't go down as quickly as it initially does. If Charlotte didn't meet 0.1 with the first blood draw, they would wait a few hours and try again later in the evening, which would push out our departure.

To pass the time, we participated in a CBDC (Cancer & Blood Disorder Center) scavenger hunt. The in-patient physical therapy team hides toy animals throughout the unit and, as a way to encourage patients to get up and moving, offers prizes for finding them all. Being the competitive gal that Charlotte is, it was imperative we find every single one! It was on this scavenger hunt that the MyChart notification came through - Charlotte's methotrexate level was at 0.08! We were going home!

There was a lot of celebration for this little number - big smiles from nurses, a thumbs up from the occupational therapist, and increased excitement from our family. It was a big win for Team Charlotte!