At PCMC...June 10th

Calm....
Not so Calm....
Okay the post below I said would be quick...wasn't, but this has to be because I'm updating as I wait at the RTU for Avery to wake up from another lumbar puncture. This is where they put the chemo in her back. She has one more this month & then she gets a break from the LP for awhile. Since my mom was still in Salt Lake from our trip, she came with us so if she needs to take Avery to the hospital when I have the baby or be able to go with Johnny if I can't. This way she would know where to go & what it was all about. Her counts were good & so far things are going smoothly.

After, she woke up things went down hill. She woke up from anesthesia coughing a lot & throwing up. She's not allowed any food since late last night so there wasn't much to throw up. Then mom started dry heaving. This is a normal occurrence while being pregnant. She wouldn't calm down & cried about her stomach hurting so bad. They called the anesthesiologist back and decided to give her some Zofran for nausea. She bawled to just go home, but we couldn't get her to calm down. She couldn't quit coughing & dry heaving and didn't want to drink anything. The RTU called the oncology office and they wanted us to go back up there to have her checked out for her stomach pain. We gave her pain medicine & waited for awhile until the pain calmed down. The ride home was the longest of my life. Avery was sad & her back was hurting & this was the first time we had Kelsi. Kelsi was tired & they were both just ready to get home. What started out so calm ended in mom ready to scream right along side her girls! Glad to be home.

AT PCMC......June 3rd

At clinic, getting her measurements
Avery & Mom wanting in the hall outside the OR
At the OR, waiting for Avery to wake up.
Back upstairs at Clinic getting her blood transfusion.
Quick update on last Friday at PCMC: It was a long day we were up by 5:00 a.m. to be at the Hospital by 9:30. The first phase ended May 27th & was called "Induction", during this phase we gave her steroids twice a day, along with other med's, she also received Vincristine (Chemo) every Friday, had her port inserted, 2 bone marrow procedures, 4 lumbar punctures & endured lots of side effects from all the medicines. Now we're on the next phase called "Consolidation". During this phase we give her Chemo orally every night, along with other med's. This month she has a lumbar puncture every week we go to PCMC. We do get our first Friday off since she was diagnosed on the 17th. YEAH! Last week, while driving she again had bad abdominal pain which I recorded on my phone to show the Doctor. I've discussed this pain with them every time, and they say it's another side effect of the Chemo & steroids. The recording must have helped, because they came up with a new plan. To give her Ranitdine twice a day morning & night, (which before we would give this to her when she needed) & along with her Chemo we give her Ondansetron to help with her stomach pain. This has really seemed to help this week. Last week, her Hematocrit (HCT) count was low at 22.9 & her Hemoglobin (Iron) was low at 6.8. It has been going down the last few weeks and the Doctors felt like she needed a blood transfusion. This would give her more energy and since we had decided to continue with our family vacation to Yellowstone it was a good thing.
We then headed downstairs for her Lumbar Puncture, unfortunately this time their was no room in the RTU (Rapid Treatment Unit) where she typically has her surgery. So we were scheduled to have her back poke at the Operating Room. This was not our favorite. A lot more people, which means more germs & lots more waiting. We had to get registered in one room & wait, move to another area for a nurse to do a physical & wait, then moved across the hall to wait some more. The anesthesiologist came & talked to us, then the part I hate at the OR, (unlike at the RTU) they won't let me go back in the room while she goes to sleep. This was the same place she had her first surgery less then 20 hours after we found out she had Leukemia & it was traumatic for her that I had to leave her side before she was asleep. Avery hates that they wheel her away & mom can't come and mom hates it too. She took longer waking up this time & just begged to go home. We still had to go back up stairs for her blood transfusion. She was not exciting & honestly either were we. The transfusion takes 1-1/2 to 2 hours. We left the hospital close to 5:00 & headed to my sister Rachelle's house. It was nice that we weren't making the long drive home. It was a long & exhausting day, but we made it through another week.