Day 44 at St Jude

This morning the first thing I asked Jesse when she woke was where she hurt. Praise the Lord she didn’t hurt anywhere!

Her hemoglobin was 8, platelets 54, ANC 100, and white blood count 1.1. It is interesting to me that last time her ANC rose to 100 her white count was .6. I think we’ll be here tomorrow because if pattern holds true, she’ll be 200 or 300 tomorrow. And I will be surprised if they don’t have to transfuse her hemoglobin tomorrow.

She was hungry, but the food here doesn’t seem to appeal to her. I fixed her some English toast and Nutella. Later she asked for an egg roll, but it didn’t taste the same as back home. She asked for pizza later on, but that didn’t taste good either.

Before our first activity I went to grab a cup of coffee. As I was downstairs I heard a small voice yelling “Elmo!” I looked around to see that I was the only one wearing a red sweatshirt. So I guess he associated the red with Elmo. There are worse things I have been called 🙂

Our first activity this morning was to have an Echo/ EKG. Jesse really didn’t want to have it done, but the technician was brilliant. He stopped and talked with her about Disney World and who was her favorite. He cleverly talked her into being comfortable with him and therefore doing the Echo and EKG.

The next group to stop in was the infectious disease doctors. Jesse has klebsillia and E. coli in her urine. They are not going to give an additional antibiotic because the meropenem covers that too. As for a prophylaxis, he wasn’t sure. He really doesn’t want her to have one because he feels that it just grows new, more resistant bacteria.

I can see his point on that… and I can see that we were on one last time, and didn’t play the in the hospital for a fever after every round. But if this is what we have to do this time, this is what we have to do.

And it turns out, she is still in the Ethel study. Because the bacteria was internal, they are going to keep her on the study.

I took the opportunity when the volunteer stopped by to go grab a shower.

The nurse practitioner stopped by. I asked her about the upcoming MIBG scans. Thursday Jesse will have the injection. Friday will be the scans. Tomorrow we’ll start the SKI drops to protect her thyroid from the radioactivity of the MIBG fluid.

After lunch, I took a little nap. I honestly am wiped and whipped. The attending oncologist came in. He looked at Jesse and was pleased with how she looked.

Her main oncologist came in later. He was pleased with how she looked too. And she actually had been up dancing before he came in.

Around 3:10, the nurse came with the shot. Jesse wanted me to give it to her. I still can’t figure that one out. Why me? Then it was time for Jesse to have some time off of Fred. She and I went to check the mail and down to the cafe during that time. Jesse really enjoyed not having Fred attached to her.

At about 5pm, they reattached Fred. Around 5:30pm, I noticed she was very quiet. She was sound asleep.

A little after 7, I called home to talk to Chris, Emiliegh, Landan, Melinda, Jimmy, Maggie, and Pumpkin. Jesse woke right up when she heard their voices. She was so excited to talk with them :)She told them about the baby elephant name Arruba, who lives in an elephant orphanage in Africa. Thank you Randy and Debbie. Jesse loved the pictures of Arruba. Maybe one day we can travel to visit Arruba in person.

She is now watching Phineas and Ferb laying in the bed. Her temperature was 100.2 tonight. Praying that she is not trying to get another fever.

I see from her calendar that tomorrow she has CT contrast from pharmacy pickup, and Thursday will be the CT scan before the MIBG injection. I am trying to figure out what ACU recovery on Wednesday is all about. Strange that it is on the TV calendar, but not online.

Thank you Paula and Kevin for the handmade quilts. They are fantastic!

Thank you Josephine, Susan, Amber, and Brandi for the clothes, bobble head monkey, coloring book and markers. Jesse loves the monkey 🙂 And her nurse today graduated from Lynchburg College in 2010.

Thank you Sally, Scott, Hunter, and Hannah for the books, jelly beans, peppermint patties, and slinky. Jesse loves the book with the Disney princesses.

Thank you Mrs Delo; Mike, Cindy, and Biscuit; Aunt Carolyn, Brenda, Linda, and Lindsey; Debra; Carolyn; Laura, Amy, and Bryan for your cards and well wishes 🙂

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1 Comment

  1. Soosan & JG, both our church’s men’s group and women’s group are keeping both of you in our prayers. Just remember you are not alone even when it might feel like it. Most of us have kids or grandkids the same age. We’re all pulling for you both.

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