A couple of days of updates.
I've spent the last two nights at home with Ella and Sam has been at the hospital with Anna. This worked out well for me, not as well for Sam. We've been at the hospital since Monday about 4:30 am -
Monday was terrifying - truly. Anna's fever was 106.4 and they couldn't bring it down, she's not allowed Motrin only Tylenol and it still wasn't coming down. No one knew what was wrong with her. They kept pushing different antibiotics on her and heart rate was running very high, 155-166. They were debating sending her back to Oncology or to ICU. No one really wanted to take her, I asked the Dr. and he told me that it was actually safest for her to be in the ER b/c she would have a more rapid response time if needed than on the floor.
After the 4th antibiotic her blood pressure dropped extremely low, which meant that they felt confident they'd found something to kill whatever infection she had - still didn't know what it was yet. She had an x-ray and were measuring her belly because it kept growning. It was very distended and hardened. We still couldn't move her. Eventually, probably about 4 pm she was stabilized, heart rate down and blood pressure back up and we moved to Onc.
They found out she had a bowel obstruction and a blood infection. The infection is similar to staph I've since found out and they have a name for it - honestly, I don't really care as long as they take care of Anna. The blood infection could have come from poor line care since they are accessing that line multiple times a day for transfusions, meds, blood work or it could just be something that came in off her own skin that has lived with her for years.
I have never felt this helpless. I was panicked about what was happening but you have to hold it together. No one knew what she had, why she had it, how to cure, how to make her comfortable, how to stop it AND no department really wanted to keep her! This was the day with cute Nurse Aaron ;) He was great, one of the best nurses we've had and very calming and steady. This week Tues-Thurs Anna has had a male nurse and he is just not quite as reassuring. I think it doesn't help that he looks like he could be a pot-smoker with his dreds wrapped up on his head. Totally totally judgemental and incredibly shallow - he is perfectly competent but he is not calming or reassuring and is not into talking or comforting. No hand-holding at all. Anyway, Nurse Aaron was with us almost all day and Anna's pharmacist Shannon came down and gave her two more cool Beads of Courage. We (I!) LOVE Shannon - she is Amazing and Cheerful and SO Very Knowledgeable! I found out that sweet sweet Shannon is married to Nurse Aaron <3.
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