Tag: Serenity

Sicker

Today was rougher than yesterday for Serenity. We’d originally hoped she might go home today, but she has had a fever for most of the day even with the Tylenol. She has also thrown up several times; up until now she has complained of nausea regularly but not actually thrown up. It is the saddest thing to see. She isn’t eating so it’s just bile and medicine. It’s hard when she is feverish and I want her to have the Tylenol (because it sometimes works), but I’m afraid to give her anything for fear she will throw up.

I haven’t been out of the ward for 48 hours. I was able to sneak in a shower for which I was grateful. When she falls asleep tonight I will slip down to the cafeteria for something to eat. Today’s food has consisted of a bagel and cinnamon bears.

I’m a little bit worried that she isn’t eating (because of the ordeal with Taran, who had to have a PICC line put in and be put on TPN) but she is still nursing so maybe we are ok. She nursed quite a bit yesterday and this morning. This afternoon and evening just a bit because she was feeling so nauseated. We are still awaiting the C diff results but her diarrhea is back in full force & she cries when I change her diaper (which is frequently).

She is done with her Ara-C, which might be the cause of the fevers, and she only has 1 day left of her thioguanine, and then 2 weeks without chemo or steroids, if I’m remembering correctly.

Settling back in

Well it looks like we will be here for a few days. Serenity’s fever came back last night (103 degrees) and Tylenol isn’t having much of an impact on it. She alternates between feeling energetic and cheerful and being lethargic and cross. She spent a long time crying last night because she wants to go home, or at the very least leave the room.

She can’t leave because they are waiting for results to come back on her C diff test. I believe she was tested a week and a half ago and it came back negative, so I don’t expect that she has it but until the results are back we are quarantined & the doctors and nurses put on masks and gowns to come in and check on her. We’re in the Immune Compromised ward so the room is already cleaned & dusted carefully once a day but because of the possibility of Clostridium difficile our room is also wiped down with bleach at the beginning of every shift change.

She only has 3 days left of chemo in this phase of Delayed Intensification but according to the doctors her ANC will likely plummet more & so she needs to be here until she’s gone about 48 hours without a fever.

Back in hospital

After spending 2 weeks in the hospital with Taran (a story for another time), we are back in the hospital with Serenity.

On Thursday Serenity’s ANC & hematocrit were low at our clinic appointment, & she received a transfusion. Yesterday morning she was fine but by night time she had a fever of 101.8 & the doctor on call told us to bring her in to be admitted. By the time we got settled in she was covered in little red bumps & complaining that her mouth hurt.

They drew blood for labs and started cultures on her blood & urine last night, and also started her on Zosin, an antibiotic. This morning she woke up feeling much better & her rash is receding. It is still quite prominent in her diaper area which concerns me, but hopefully we will soon know what caused it.

If she is dealing with a virus rather than a bacterial infection, and continues to make progress we could go home as early as tomorrow.