The camping trip went well last night. The kids all slept through the night and the temperatures were pretty good for sleeping. It felt like it dropped into the low 50's or upper 40's last night. Josh's cough is worse this morning. In fact, I don't think I want to subject my brother and his family to the germs that Josh is spreading. He coughed to the point of vomiting just after getting up this morning.
Katie slept well last night after her fever broke at around 9pm. However, her fever came back this morning and is currently 37.7. She has had no adverse reactions to the TPN IV wich is good since she isn't eating much again this morning. She is also still coughing this morning and her cough has started to have a little bit of a loose, bubbly sound to it.
Since Josh is as sick as he is, I think I will take him home today instead of continue to subject other people to his germs. For now, we are finishing up breakfast packing up and deciding exactly what our day is going to look like.
Showing posts with label germ. Show all posts
Showing posts with label germ. Show all posts
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
Monday Night Update
Katie had a low key day today, taking naps and just hanging out around the room with only a couple of 5 minute excursions down the hall to the ride-on toys. Her cough is better, although I am still not happy with it. She can at least sleep without coughing now and that is a tremendous help.
She still has her appetite and is eating a lot. She still favors pasta and Popsicles at this point.
She received another new chemotherapy drug today and doctors watched her closely for adverse reactions. She had none. This drug was not fun to take. She had to get it by needle and that is never fun. However, she clung to her mother and took it like a trooper.
Her battle with constipation is finally over. I guess all of that pasta, combined with regular doses of laxative worked. The laxative will be carefully administered for the next month or so while she is taking the chemotherapy drugs that cause the constipation. The goal is to get her back to a once-a-day girl and keep her that way by varying the amount of laxative that she gets each day.
Josh and I are finally home. We arrived this evening around 6pm and he is now sleeping soundly. We each go to school tomorrow and try to get back to something resembling our previously normal routine.
The doctors are trying to prepare us for taking Katie home. The lesson for the day was hand washing, hand washing, hand washing. Did I stress it enough? Despite the fact that outside germs pose a significant risk to her health, one of Katie's biggest risk factors is the fact that she is two and puts things in her mouth or touches everything and then puts her hands in her mouth. We are going to have to make sure that she washes her hands often and that we wash our hands just as often to keep the spread of germs to a minimum. The doctors also warned us to look out for some much more serious side-effects once we get home including unstoppable bleeding, blood clots, extreme lethargy,and necrosis of tissue exposed to some of the more potent chemotherapy drugs. It's all enough to make me want to keep living at the hospital with her where she can be monitored by professionals 24-7.
She still has her appetite and is eating a lot. She still favors pasta and Popsicles at this point.
She received another new chemotherapy drug today and doctors watched her closely for adverse reactions. She had none. This drug was not fun to take. She had to get it by needle and that is never fun. However, she clung to her mother and took it like a trooper.
Her battle with constipation is finally over. I guess all of that pasta, combined with regular doses of laxative worked. The laxative will be carefully administered for the next month or so while she is taking the chemotherapy drugs that cause the constipation. The goal is to get her back to a once-a-day girl and keep her that way by varying the amount of laxative that she gets each day.
Josh and I are finally home. We arrived this evening around 6pm and he is now sleeping soundly. We each go to school tomorrow and try to get back to something resembling our previously normal routine.
The doctors are trying to prepare us for taking Katie home. The lesson for the day was hand washing, hand washing, hand washing. Did I stress it enough? Despite the fact that outside germs pose a significant risk to her health, one of Katie's biggest risk factors is the fact that she is two and puts things in her mouth or touches everything and then puts her hands in her mouth. We are going to have to make sure that she washes her hands often and that we wash our hands just as often to keep the spread of germs to a minimum. The doctors also warned us to look out for some much more serious side-effects once we get home including unstoppable bleeding, blood clots, extreme lethargy,and necrosis of tissue exposed to some of the more potent chemotherapy drugs. It's all enough to make me want to keep living at the hospital with her where she can be monitored by professionals 24-7.
Monday Morning
Good morning everyone. Katie was in a cheerful mood all night long despite being woken up almost every hour last night. We had a couple of blocks of 2 hour stretches that were pretty nice. She woke up hungry this morning and immediately wanted pasta. She didn't want to wait for room service to bring her normal breakfast up so we dug in Grandma Kathy's cold spaghetti and meat sauce. She loved it and ate two bowls before room service brought up her English muffin, fruit, yogurt and juice.
She is due for two shots today as part of her chemotherapy. We are waiting until Amy returns from her parents house at noon before giving her the shots so that both parents can be there to comfort her.
Josh is currently out and about with his friend Jack King and family. Barb and Bill, Jack's parents, offered to take josh with them for a time this morning for some play time. He was really eager to go. Thank you Barb and Bill for helping to make this easier for Josh.
Kate is a little sluggish this morning with only small bursts of energy. She is currently sitting on my lap asking to go back to her room to lie down. We have only been out of the room for 10 minutes at this point.
The doctor told me again this morning that it is very likely she will be allowed to go home Wednesday. He said hers has been the perfect text book case so far. She and her leukemia are responding to the chemotherapy just as they should. She is still constipated, but with the sudden increased appetite, that should pose a problem for much longer. Then they begin weening her off of the IV and getting her ready to go home. Knock on wood. We may be out of here soon.
However, when we get home, don't come visiting right away. She is only allowed to see people who she has had frequent and regular contact with before coming to the hospital, and even those people need to wear masks. The theory is that she already has the germs and viruses in her body that those people are carrying. The doctors do not want her exposed to any new germs and viruses from any person she gets to see only every few months or so. As her immune system continues to get worse, her visitors will be restricted to just her parents, her Nana, and her brother. And since we all work in schools, bringing home lots of germs through the course of the year, we may all have to wear masks at home.
She is due for two shots today as part of her chemotherapy. We are waiting until Amy returns from her parents house at noon before giving her the shots so that both parents can be there to comfort her.
Josh is currently out and about with his friend Jack King and family. Barb and Bill, Jack's parents, offered to take josh with them for a time this morning for some play time. He was really eager to go. Thank you Barb and Bill for helping to make this easier for Josh.
Kate is a little sluggish this morning with only small bursts of energy. She is currently sitting on my lap asking to go back to her room to lie down. We have only been out of the room for 10 minutes at this point.
The doctor told me again this morning that it is very likely she will be allowed to go home Wednesday. He said hers has been the perfect text book case so far. She and her leukemia are responding to the chemotherapy just as they should. She is still constipated, but with the sudden increased appetite, that should pose a problem for much longer. Then they begin weening her off of the IV and getting her ready to go home. Knock on wood. We may be out of here soon.
However, when we get home, don't come visiting right away. She is only allowed to see people who she has had frequent and regular contact with before coming to the hospital, and even those people need to wear masks. The theory is that she already has the germs and viruses in her body that those people are carrying. The doctors do not want her exposed to any new germs and viruses from any person she gets to see only every few months or so. As her immune system continues to get worse, her visitors will be restricted to just her parents, her Nana, and her brother. And since we all work in schools, bringing home lots of germs through the course of the year, we may all have to wear masks at home.
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