I have realized that my daily visit to the clinic is like taking a flight. I just don't where I'm flying to each day until I get there. Some days after my labs are drawn and I don't need additinal blood or platelets, it's like a flight to Boston (2 hrs). Other days I get there and I need more potassium so it's like flying out to Salt Lake City or Denver (~ 4 hrs), since the K bag takes an additional 2 hrs to infuse. Then other days, I need Potassium, and the regular stuff (i.e. right now 2 different abx for my pneumonia), and blood to the tune of 5 1/2-6 hrs. So each day is a coin toss as to how long I'll be there. Some days I know that I will need blood the next day and hence to be prepared for a long day. Sometimes it's more random.
There are other similarities to being on a flight. I have an appt time that is usually the time I get taken back to the clinic treatment area to start all of the rigamaroll. But once they were so overbooked that I had to wait in the lobby 1 1/2 hrs beyond my appt time before I was even brought back to start my infusions for the day. ? Flight delay anyone?
We spend the whole time sitting in one position in these Duke blue recliners hooked up to bags of IV fluids, abx, bags of blood or other supplements. We spend the equivalent of a flight to boston, denver, or san francisco in our little chair being served by the nurses as they bring us pills, water, juice, hang our bags of fluids, take our temps, measure our blood pressure, etc.
Yesrterday I was in the chair for 5 1/2 hours since I had to have my usual 2 abx, potassium, and 2 bags of blood.
My numbers are good now so I won't report them all here. Just know that the plt's are 389, 000 and the white cells are 5.8.
The two big things on my near horizon are the repeat CT scan Monday morning to see if my pneumonia has shrunken and the bone marrow biopsy Tuesday afternoon. Other than that it' s just heal, heal, heal to get stronger, better, & more robust each day.
Well I've got a plane to catch later this morning at 10:45 am. Wonder where we'll be going?
2 comments:
Hi Tree,
I didn't call today during the day, due to extensively lovely day on the Falmouth MA beach with our Cambridge friend Martha Loss, who we brought with us to the Cape. Then the afternoon/evening with Aunt Sue, Uncle Don, and Great Aunt Dorothy. p.s. the lobstah rolls were fabulous at the restaurant they picked out for us! We just dropped off Dorothy at her residence and are now checking into our room at the Inn.
Thinking of you and Holly lots
Love,
Rebecca
Hi,Tree and Holly,
Just got back from picking up Ely at Miriam and Alex's while I was away for the weekend. They showed me a great photo of Ely crammed tightly into Lucy's little dog bed and told me about Lucy playing with Ely's stuffed toy sheep, while Ely pulled out all of Lucy's stuffed squirrel toys. They said they had a great visit with you guys today!
Tree, I love to see all the photos of you on the blog, and am always struck by your smile--such a loving, warm look out into the world. I will be thinking of you and smiling this week, hoping that you and Holly find some small something everyday that brings a smile to your face.
Love, Julia
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