Still Home

Yes, we are still at home! We thought we’d be here for 1 week and that has turned into 3. At first Annabelle’s platelets were too low to start chemo so we needed to wait for them, and it worked out nicely that we could just spend more time in MT while waiting for counts to recover. Of course, she had to fever that weekend as well and ended up in the ER. She recovered quickly from that and felt great so we had a fun week. Once she made counts we were set up to start radiation and chemo the next week. That was supposed to be the day after Labor Day. Well, that Sunday Annabelle woke up with a fever. I took her in to the ER and expected the usual work-up and then to be sent home. But, for some reason, her white blood count was REALLY high. 32, 000!!! That would normally indicate a major infection of some sort so they admitted her. She continued to fever for the next day while they pumped her full of antibiotics. This whole time the Dr's in MT were in contact with our oncologists in Utah and they were able to keep her in Missoula and didn’t have to fly her to Primary’s. They really do have great nurses and doctors on the pediatric unit at Community. This was my 3rd time being admitted with my girls and it is great to see the same faces and have them remember you! We had the same nurse in the ER both times, the same pediatric hospitalist who told us Annabelle had a tumor and who also took care of Layla when she had periorbital cellulitis and adenovirus, and many of the same nurses we’ve had before. There was also a moment that made me shudder. As I was walking Annabelle back to have a chest x-ray we walked past a waiting room. The same waiting room I sat in alone on a Saturday morning and cried while Annabelle had her first MRI. The same waiting room the anesthesiologist told me that “there’s something in there”, and that “something” turned out to be a tumor. Cancer. I saw the chairs I sat in and the TV I pretended to watch. It was like a flashback to that awful moment.

Anyway, Annabelle and I were there through Tuesday and then got to go home. She ended up needing a blood transfusion while we were there and then they sent her home on IV antibiotics. Since then she has been doing really well. Somehow, though, Layla managed to get sick. She has an awful nasty cough and runny nose which, of course, led to ear infections. It is impossible to keep the 2 kids separated all day, especially since they share a bedroom, so Annabelle has been wearing a mask all the time. I’m praying that that, and the antibiotics, will keep Annabelle from catching it too. The plan is to drive to Utah on Sunday for Annabelle to start treatments early Monday morning. Pray that things go well with radiation and that Annabelle stays strong!