January 21, 2009

This is what a Gram positive cocci in chains stain result looks like, Staphylococcus

Here are today's labs
Date------Day----WBC----ANC--------Hgb--------PLT---- Transfusions
8 Jan-----128----3.9------3800-------8.6-----------181--------------N/A
9 Jan-----129----3.9------3800-------8.7-----------163--------------N/A
12 Jan----132----0.7-------448-------9.5-----------117--------------N/A
15 Jan---135-----0.3------0-------7.9/9.4---------35------1 Unit of Blood
19 Jan---139-----0.2------0----------8.2-----2/35----1 Unit of Platelets
20 Jan---140-----0.2------0----------7.7------26-----2 Units of Blood
21 Jan---141-----0.3------0---------9.5------17-----pending

I slept from about 11:30pm to about 3:00am. I woke up with an intense headache & sever bone & joint pain. I was having Rigors so bad from the blood infusion & sweating profusely. They gave me 10mg of Oxycontin & morphine which took away the bone pain but did nothing for my headache. They brought me in 2 Tylenol & it took away the headache right away. My rigors did stop, until later this morning but my temp is down to 98.7 the last 2 readings. I sweat through breakfast & then it stopped/ I did have a fever spike sometime during the night but I don't know when or what it actually spiked up to. I am hoping it was the last one but we will have to wait & see.

On a side note, for future reference I will not wait until morning to call Dr. Walker if I ever have another fever spike at home even if I am able to control it with Tylenol. Tylenol masks a fever & it is the infection that the fever indicates that requires immediate antibiotic treatment. The attending DR.Flynn really gave me hard time about waiting to come in. He did not care for my response when I told him I sat in the ER for 9 hours & they did not even start any antibiotic's until I had been in the ER for 7 hours they had a room for me but they needed housekeeping to clean it, thus the additional 2 hour wait in the ER. Did I mention no Dr. ever came back in & talked with me about the results from all my tests & what was wrong with me. After requesting it for the third time one finally did come in & tell me what was going on, she said the original Dr. that accessed me had briefed her on me & she was surprised that he had not said anything to me. So the attending Dr. Flynn was giving me a hard time said I was cocky. I told him no, I felt that bad & knew I could not tolerate sitting in an ER that Sunday night. I also told him I am very involved in my treatment plans I would do what ever they need me to do, but he needs to quit lecturing me, it is water under the bridge & I was too drained to argue with him. The resident Dr.Lam came in & I have had her before both her & my Nurse Practitioner Carli told me not to worry about it. Carli said she also sent an e-mail to my Dr. Walker to cancel my appointment that was scheduled for today & but she still came down to see me. She said I have been so lucky up to this point that some people go through these types of infection in between each chemo treatment & their counts drop. That is part of the reason why the mortality statistics are so high in comparison to other types of Cancers. Dr Walker & Carli are both very positive & seem to think that with the proper treatment they can get this infection under control unfortunately we still do not have the other blood culture back yet. Dr. Walker did not give me a hard time either so the attending can kiss my booty, that is cocky.

My Discharge Planning Nurse Janet came in to let me know that Carli wants me to go to Madison county for labs 3 times per week M-W-F instead of 2 when I am in my Nader. Carli says this way I will not have to go 4 days between blood work & my Platelets will hopefully not drop as low in between labs.

My PICC line came back clean so that has not caused the Blood infection. They are waiting on the other Blood Cultures & I think Carli is ordering a full body CAT Scan & not just the head. She wants to rule out that it is not affecting any of my other organs.

My Aunt Bonnie is supposed to be coming down from Lima to see me today & may stay at the house at night or at the hospital with me. She got her van back later than expected last night & I told her not to drive when it is dark. She has vision problems that make It more difficult for her to see at night.

My Dad ended up going back home, I am hoping that he is able to come back & see me at the house when I am doing better, I will get better.

I was so groggy yesterday from all the meds they game me plus the Benadryl they gave me for my 2 Blood infusions they gave me. I was drifting off in mid sentence & mid bite of my dinner. Marc had to yell at me to wake me up because I had a bowl of soup in my hand & I was drifting off to sleep & almost wore the whole bowl. I took a bite of pizza & I fell asleep with it in my mouth, Marc was afraid I was going to choke so he had me finish chewing what I had in my mouth, get a drink, & he laid back my bed & told me to go to sleep. They added a third antibiotic to my treatment regiment yesterday afternoon as well it is called Tobramycim. So I have the PICC that one line was being used for the Blood Infusion, the other one for an antibiotic, then they also stuck a peripheral line in my left wrist for another antibiotic. So I am continuously receiving 2 antibiotics at a time. & they rotate the other one in. Marc was a little freaked out when he saw all the lines & bags hanging plus my Neupogen shots look bigger then my ones form home the tube is skinner. Marc was up here until sometime after 6pm & I told him to go home to the kids, he had already missed Brandon's wrestling yesterday & today Paige had a basketball game to cheer at so I was hoping he would maybe make it up to that for s little bit. I called him later on & he said all the kids were fine, Katie & Zack were playing my Sims & Fishing Master on the Wii so they were pretty content all day. Brandon went to Wrestling Practice & Paige went to her friend Olivia's before the game. They keep asking Marc how I am doing. I called Marc back last night around 11pm & told him to go to bed, I knew he probably fell asleep watching TV in the living room in the Blue Chair & if he did not go to bed & sleep he would pay for it in he morning when his neck pain.

Marc is coming back up again today he is really worried about me & I am worried about him, I just don't want his stressing himself out. I am really sick but I am getting the best care I possibly can get.


Benefit Scheduled for Saturday, January 24, 2008
Many of you who know me may remember I used to be on the Board & the Treasurer for the London Assembly #208 Rainbow Girls when Katie & Paige were in Rainbow. I was contacted by Mom Wendy Hall, Mother Advisor from The London Assembly #208 Rainbow Girls & they are holding a Spaghetti Dinner Benefit for me on January 24th from 5:00 pm-7:00 pm at the Chandler Lodge located at 65 North Main Street, London Ohio. The Menu will be Spaghetti, sauce with meatballs, bread & butter, salad with dressing & a drink for $5.00. Desserts will be available for a donation & you can dine in or carryout is available. If you would like any information please contact Keith Hall @ 614-302-0431or airforcekeith@sbcglobal.net