Wednesday - Clinic calls with lab results. Adam needs a transfusion and the clinic is so busy, we need to come down right now (to get in this week). Of course, the 1 hour I do not have my phone on me due to classroom mayhem is the hour Sandy gets the call and is already gone to the hospital. I hear my voice mail and leave immediately. Rachel is dealing with a cold of her own and particularly cranky with grandpa - apparently wanting mommy. When I get there, she wants to stay. How to make a three year old happy?
Thursday - Adam's transfusion went well. But he is still lacking energy and spikes a fever. It lingers at 100.5 for awhile, but then goes up to 101. That is the melting point for Adam. We have to take him to Children's ER right away. I leave school at 2:30 and we're in an ER room by 4:30 (not before going home to grab some extra clothes, snacks, and a book). By 9 pm we're back on 5 east for what looks like a 3-day stint. Adam is exhausted and sleeping. They gave him a chest X-Ray, antibiotics through the IV, and drew blood to check for bacteria. The drill is to rule out pneumonia, a line infection, or anything else serious enough to treat with super-antibiotics. In the mean time they treat the ear infection. The doctor even offered morphine for pain. Luckily Adam fell asleep without it and we didn't have to go there. I am sure it is a miniscule dose for a small kid, but I'd like to avoid the narcotics as much as possible. I slept really well too, still tired from the last couple days, and the nurse showed me that the chair actually stretches out to a bed (something I didn't figure out last time)!
Friday - We wake up a couple times during the night with Adam coughing. He pops up at 7:30 hoping for Wild Kratts, but we missed it this time. I now learn the reason he jumps out of bed the second one eye opens on a daily basis. Wild Kratts is a new favorite show on PBS, on at 6:30. We settle for Calliou (ugh!). He hasn't eaten anything since Thursday lunch and shows no interest in the pancakes and toast I order. I can hardly get him to even drink anything. So, I am thinking, we're going to be here for a week! Nurses have to wear masks and gloves to even enter our room like we are omitting some biohazard chemicals. Surprisingly enough though, the doctors come around and tell us his fever has been gone since the middle of the night, all the tests are negative, and we can either stay one more night (for fun) or go home. Let me think... Go home, of course! I'd much rather be watching TV from my couch than the hospital bed. We prepare for departure. I make a bathroom trip and find chaos in the hallway. Annoyed that the bathroom door is blocked, I put my head down and "excuse me, sorry" only to realize, hey, that girl has a pom pom?! I come back out and there are two Raider players and two Raiderettes. Huh? They are delivering gift baskets for the HOPE foundation out of Indiana? (Screech, halt) Indiana? They visit a room or two for a photo op and are gone within a few minutes. The nurses pass out the rest of the baskets. Now, I don't mean to be a cynic, but if I am grading the "community service" of this event, I am giving a D-. Two kids, a total of 30 minutes (5 of which are actually visiting the kids, the other 25 prepping for pictures), giving out baskets you ordered from Indiana? I can't help but to feel like the kids were used for good PR. The basket is impressive. The contents include: a Ball University notepad and pen, Indianapolis Colts water bottle, Indiana Pacers mini basketball, a couple books, puzzles, and playing cards. Oh yeah, and they sneaked in a Raiders hat and mini football. Now, I realize little kids probably don't know the difference, and the kids they did see were probably elated and will talk about for years to come. So, I am still apologizing for being a critical Bay-Area-native disappointed in our local football team's lame half-hearted attempts to show their "give-back" to the community. The Raiders continue to look ghetto in my opinion. Cynical, I know.
So, anyways, we're home. Adam is feeling better. We all took a long nap on Saturday, and I think regaining energy. Funny how a week ago we are running around at the beach and this weekend we are dragging to get out of our pjs. That's just the nature of the beast! I didn't mention, my grandpa was also in the hospital for high potassium and high risk of heart attack, Thursday. He had a minor surgery, a tube placed in his chest, and has to be on dialysis and will be staying a few days. Rachel and I tried to visit Saturday evening and find out that kids under 12 are not allowed. Oops. Hopefully will make it back to keep him company and get the rest of the details.
Other than that, We should be pretty quiet for a couple weeks as long as Adam recovers from his ear infection-cough combo. He has finished this round of chemo until Feb 24 when he gets an LP.
Speaking of, Mexothrexate shortage. We haven't heard anything about it until Saturday's newspaper announcing that people are "panicked" by the shortage of this chemo drug (used to treat mainly ALL, but also rheumatoid arthritis and some other cancers). The article says hospitals will be out of it within two weeks. Unfortunately, our whole next phase revolves around injections of this chemo. I am not going to worry in the meantime - our doctors haven't said anything, so I'm not sure of the reality of this. I am definitely not going to trust modern day journalist (who's job is to create fear in readers as opposed to provide unbiased information). Even if doctors did bring this up, we've been taken care of thus far, no reason to over analyze and lose faith now. Only 62 days until Maintenance...
So, if you can ignore and forgive me for my disappointment in the world, in general, we are recovering from being sick (along with everyone else, it seems). Trying to make sure Rachel doesn't feel like the "other child" as we rushed Adam around to every medical institution available, and sitting back to ride out this recent roller coaster. Happy to report Josh kicked butt at work after weeks of long nights and a 70 slide Power Point presentation, and I am excited for softball season to begin. Life as usual - trying to let go of the reins and trust and follow the path ahead of us. So far, we're improving. And happy with that.
"The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?" - Psalm 27:1
No comments:
Post a Comment