Smells Like Tomato Soup

Jesse and I have reached the point where thankful for me there are no knives or pointy objects in the room ( cause she might use them on me) I threatened to go home a couple of times today, which I shouldn’t be doing because that messes with her sense of security.

The day began with a flurry of activity in the ante room to her room as the nurses completed paperwork, received the stem cells (which came in a bag the size of buy in line bag of M&Ms in a box of dry ice that could hold at least 1000 bags), and the water bath to warm the cells.

At 10am, the nurse began administering the steroid, benedryl, and tylenol that Jesse would need for the transplant. At 10:30am, four nurses entered the room. One hung a bag of saline to drip by gravity. Then on the same line via a splitter, they hung the stem cells. Within 15 minutes, the stem cells had infused. As the cells entered, I noticed a new smell from Jesse. I had been warned that she might smell like garlic or creamed corn. To me, she smells like tomato soup.

Once the infusion was complete, she had to keep the pulse ox and heart monitor for 2 hours. Let the power struggle begin. First she wanted the pulse ox monitor on her finger… then her toe… then her other toe… then her finger. When I wouldn’t allow her to move it from her toe to toe, the grouch came out. At one point in the day I threatened to get her a metal trash can, elephant, farm, worm, and to paint her green.

She was able to eat lunch, which surprised me. I thought that the smell she had acquired would affect her ability to eat. By 5pm, she was done.

Then at 8pm she was wide awake. Jesse ate a banana and turkey. In order for her to be able to eat a banana, I have to wash the peel… wash my hands… peel the banana… dump on a plate without touching it…. wash my hands again… deliver her the banana. I’m not complaining about it by any means, just trying to explain how vital cleanliness with Jesse is now.

She was a grouch when she awoke and even after eating. She refused to talk to her dad, refused to talk to the nurse, refused to talk to a friend that called. Then at 10:30pm she told me her but hurt. I figured it was part of her drama from the day. I changed her diaper, but still she was screaming about her but. I looked at it, but there are no sores on the outside.

We had been warned that Jesse could get mucositis, which are sores somewhere along the GI tract from being neutraphenic. For a half hour she would clench her but and scream. This occurred the last time she was neutraphenic and had to poop. The nurse and I made the decision to give her morphine. By the time the morphine arrived Jesse had calmed down.

I don’t know how long she lay awake because I fell asleep. I think she felt so bad that it felt better to have me to hang onto.

This morning Jesse is laying in my lap. She has not asked to eat, and doesn’t act like she feels good at all.