I thought I would be writing this post from Gardendale tonight but Kendall and me are still in Houston. Kendall and myself spent 3 wonderful nights in the hospital with Kendall's fever. Running test and drawing blood. Well her fever broke but she still had a slight infection but we were able to go back to the apartment. Although she is having to take IV antibiotics for the next 13 days. Every 6 hours. Try sleeping with that routine. The medicine is refrigerated and had to be room temperature prior to giving it, then after running for an hour it has to be unhooked and the lines flushed so they won't clog. Midnight and 6am are the toughest but so far it has been ok. An hour of sleep here and an hour of sleep there. Not to mention that Kendall has all of her other medication that she is taking twice a day.
Back to being home. The lab showed that her platelets are not recovering very fast and she is having to have them transfused every other day. Some of it was due to the fever and infection. It leaves her really tired and doesn't have a lot of energy to do anything. She has also been bleeding more than normal from her mouth as the result of low platelets. They have been low before but not for this long. The doctor said Kendall needed to stay around close because of the way her platelets keep dropping so fast. She goes back Friday for another check and maybe by then we will be able to go home. They want to start the last round of treatment next week. So much has to happen before she can start again. For now, I make sure she is resting and eating some hoping that her body pulls itself together for this last cycle.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Fevers Means Larger Hospital Rooms
Back in the hospital for those long nights,no sleeping and general discomfort. Kendall ran a fever that could not be avoided so we made the trip to the Emergency Room. 3pm till 2am is not as bad as it seems. Really, we were able to sit in the er with lots of people that even somelooked to be in more pain that Kendall. I tried to be patient>The nurse told me that she was putting us in a wing that nobody is using. I said you will forget about us and we'll be here forever. She assured me that, that would not happen. Well it did, we didn't see a nurse for hours. Finally got in the roomabout 2am and Kendall slept a little but I could not. The nerses where in her room every 39 minutes now. So I stayed up and are now feeling the affects of no sleep.
Kendall hasreceived two units of blood and 6 units of platelets and on all the antiobiodics anyone could imagine. She's doing fine,just notreal social causeshe is tired so much. Won'tkeep you long just wanted to give the quick update.
Kendall hasreceived two units of blood and 6 units of platelets and on all the antiobiodics anyone could imagine. She's doing fine,just notreal social causeshe is tired so much. Won'tkeep you long just wanted to give the quick update.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Steady Is The Path
I don't know how this past week has slipped by me. It just seemed liked yesterday that Kendall was starting her chemo and we were getting settled in. Kendall has had, so far a good beginning. This past week, Kendall hasn't done a lot because she has been tired. She did give me a scare last night when she started to run a fever but it came down and we avoided a hospital trip. She told me that she was due a trip to the emergency room and had already packed an overnight bag to go. She is starting to become more comfortable with the realization that she has leukemia. She knows what she has do and has no problem in getting it done. I know she still gets upset about it, but I have begin to see how much she has grown through this experience. And she has handled it extremely well. I am very proud of her for the strength and courage she has shown throughout this.
Kendall's blood counts have been really low this week and haven't begun to recover yet. Hopefully by the end of the week they will start to recover. She has had to get platelets every other day. But even though she's recovering slower that usual, she has more upbeat days than down days.
We meet some new people this week at the hospital. We were laughing at how we can tell what people are new to MD Anderson and what people have been around for a long time. The new people we met are from Kentucky and have only been out here for a month. Kendall and me felt like regulars as they were asking how to get around the hospital and about things around Houston. As I carried on my conversation with them, I couldn't help but think how familiar I have really became with the hospital and even with the city of Houston. Then I began to think about how much I missed our home, our family and our neighbors. I began to get sad thinking about that so then I began to think about how close Kendall is to being through with her treatment and we can get back to all those things that we miss.
Psalm 68:13
Even while you sleep among the CAMPFIRES, the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver, its feathers with shining gold."
Kendall's blood counts have been really low this week and haven't begun to recover yet. Hopefully by the end of the week they will start to recover. She has had to get platelets every other day. But even though she's recovering slower that usual, she has more upbeat days than down days.
We meet some new people this week at the hospital. We were laughing at how we can tell what people are new to MD Anderson and what people have been around for a long time. The new people we met are from Kentucky and have only been out here for a month. Kendall and me felt like regulars as they were asking how to get around the hospital and about things around Houston. As I carried on my conversation with them, I couldn't help but think how familiar I have really became with the hospital and even with the city of Houston. Then I began to think about how much I missed our home, our family and our neighbors. I began to get sad thinking about that so then I began to think about how close Kendall is to being through with her treatment and we can get back to all those things that we miss.
Psalm 68:13
Even while you sleep among the CAMPFIRES, the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver, its feathers with shining gold."
Monday, February 8, 2010
Gods Miracle Opportunity
How many mornings do you wake up and realize that each day is a miracle. That every day you have an opportunity to shine in Gods eyes. I was reminded of that this morning when Dylan called me at 6:45am. I was laying in the bed thinking about all the reasons why I shouldn't get out of it. Dylan's voice was so full of life, excitement....opportunity! He was walking out to catch the school bus and wanted to call me not only to see what I was doing but also to specifically ask how was Kendall doing. His voice reminded me of some of the reasons why I should get out of bed.....
....so how is Kendall doing? She has had a rough weekend. Filled with not eating or drinking anything and not having the energy to move around. She didn't run a fever or anything but was just.....tired. I was worried because she wasn't eating or drinking and I would constantly be trying to give her something. She would politely smile at me and say...no thank you. I didn't find any new hobbies or interests, I just calmly sat in the living room listening out for her to call me. I started reading a couple of different books, but Tammy knows I never finish them, I just start them. Kendall did start to stir around a little bit on Sunday and began to eat a little....and it was very little.
Kendall had a doctors appointment this morning for labwork. Her energy level was better than Sunday and she was eating more and even drinking more. She is at day 6 of treatment and I didn't think she would need blood by the way she was feeling, but she is at day 6 which is usually time for a blood transfusion. But I was right, she didn't need any. Her white blood count was at 0.1, which is really low this early but Kendall was in good spirits. She even started wearing her mask without me even having to remind her. I'm beginning to think that she don't need me anymore because she's been through so much it's almost like routine to her. Kendall doesn't have to go back until Wednesday and I'm sure she will have to have blood and/or platelets by then.
I know some mornings when I get up it's like routine to me. I go through the motions day after day without taking time to do what's really important. To take the time to thank God for the opportunity. The opportunity to care....to laugh....to cry...and to love. I've often talked about things that refer to Gods plan for the future and how it will turn out...His way. But tonight I want to take the time....the opportunity to thank him for the things in my life today. For the opportunity to live each day pleasing God. I know that some days I probably don't please God as much as other days. But I thank him for the opportunity.
Colossians 4:5-6
Make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
....so how is Kendall doing? She has had a rough weekend. Filled with not eating or drinking anything and not having the energy to move around. She didn't run a fever or anything but was just.....tired. I was worried because she wasn't eating or drinking and I would constantly be trying to give her something. She would politely smile at me and say...no thank you. I didn't find any new hobbies or interests, I just calmly sat in the living room listening out for her to call me. I started reading a couple of different books, but Tammy knows I never finish them, I just start them. Kendall did start to stir around a little bit on Sunday and began to eat a little....and it was very little.
Kendall had a doctors appointment this morning for labwork. Her energy level was better than Sunday and she was eating more and even drinking more. She is at day 6 of treatment and I didn't think she would need blood by the way she was feeling, but she is at day 6 which is usually time for a blood transfusion. But I was right, she didn't need any. Her white blood count was at 0.1, which is really low this early but Kendall was in good spirits. She even started wearing her mask without me even having to remind her. I'm beginning to think that she don't need me anymore because she's been through so much it's almost like routine to her. Kendall doesn't have to go back until Wednesday and I'm sure she will have to have blood and/or platelets by then.
I know some mornings when I get up it's like routine to me. I go through the motions day after day without taking time to do what's really important. To take the time to thank God for the opportunity. The opportunity to care....to laugh....to cry...and to love. I've often talked about things that refer to Gods plan for the future and how it will turn out...His way. But tonight I want to take the time....the opportunity to thank him for the things in my life today. For the opportunity to live each day pleasing God. I know that some days I probably don't please God as much as other days. But I thank him for the opportunity.
Colossians 4:5-6
Make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Round and Round We Go.....
Days 1 and 2 are in the books. Kendall has finished two or her three days of chemo this week and we are fixing to tackle day three. This treatment had the extra drug in in and Kendall has been so worried that it was going to make her sick. She was right.....it did. She went through the chills, the fever, the nausea and the pain the whole night. And she wasn't through. Chemo ran until 3am that morning. Most of all the symptoms happened while we were still at the hospital and the nurse took very good care of her. Every time Kendall moved, the nurse was there to help. When we got to the apartment, Kendall went straight to bed. She slept until the next day of chemo. So back to the hospital we go. By now she was feeling a little better and the hospital wasn't crowded at all. We went right in and she started chemo. It was now time for Grey's Anatomy. That's all she likes to watch on tv so it felt like we watched all of one season. Back to the apartment and Kendall went to sleep. I feel like we are either at the hospital or trying to catch up on sleep. One would think that after 6 months of this it would surely ease up. Sometimes I think it's getting harder for Kendall. Her body falls down quicker and it takes longer for her to recover. While she's having chemo, she stays so tired. But somehow, she presses on and wants to keep going. Some days I feel like I have to drag her to the hospital but she is so looking forward to the end of the tunnel.....
....So now we're back from day 3 and wait on the blood transfusions. By day 6 she will be needing blood and platelets. It's scary sometimes to think that I know all of this. Six months ago seems like an eternity. How much in the dark I was about this. Well, not going to go through all of that now. I'll wait until next month to do that.
2 Corinthians 5:7
We live by faith, not by sight
....So now we're back from day 3 and wait on the blood transfusions. By day 6 she will be needing blood and platelets. It's scary sometimes to think that I know all of this. Six months ago seems like an eternity. How much in the dark I was about this. Well, not going to go through all of that now. I'll wait until next month to do that.
2 Corinthians 5:7
We live by faith, not by sight
Monday, February 1, 2010
Rounding Third
Well, back at it. Kendall and me flew back in to Houston on Sunday night to start the next round. Two more. I told her it was like rounding third and heading home. She didn't think that was funny. Kendall was able to spend another week at home trying to be normal. For the most part she did really good. She hasn't had much of an appetite this past month but started to eat better this past week. Her energy level was really good. She was able to get out and do a lot this week. I still worry about her being out by herself. She tells me I'm paranoid but I can't help it.
We had a visit with the doctor today and got the green light to start. Her white blood count was down a little and was in discussion about whether or not to wait a few more days to start. Kendall didn't say anything but I could tell that a decision to delay would not make for very pleasant conversation around the apartment. But the doctor said she was good to go so we dropped that discussion as quick as it came up. So we left the hospital knowing that the next few days of chemo are going to be tough because the doctor said her bone marrow is not recovering as well as it has been. We'll just take it one day at a time and everything should be fine.
We had a visit with the doctor today and got the green light to start. Her white blood count was down a little and was in discussion about whether or not to wait a few more days to start. Kendall didn't say anything but I could tell that a decision to delay would not make for very pleasant conversation around the apartment. But the doctor said she was good to go so we dropped that discussion as quick as it came up. So we left the hospital knowing that the next few days of chemo are going to be tough because the doctor said her bone marrow is not recovering as well as it has been. We'll just take it one day at a time and everything should be fine.
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