FRIEND OR FOE

Pneumonia has reared it's ugly head. After three hospital visits, Kristin was finally admitted to Primary's Wednesday with a temp of 105, difficulty breathing and low oxygen saturation rates. Darren booked me on the next available flight and I was here by 4:00. Thank you to Nate and his mom Tamara for their help. I had a feeling it would come down to this or that something was brewing the day before Thanksgiving. Monday was very difficult for me. Panicked phone calls and continued high fevers left me spent. And I not the one with pneumonia. I knew she should not have returned to Provo so soon. After the tears, I decided, for myself, it is easier to be angry than upset. Angry at this all. Angry that this @#$% is so all consuming and invasive, frightening and paralyzing, obscure and mysterious.

Thus far, she has had a CT scan, several blood draws for too many tests I cannot begin to name, and a not so fun saline nasal aspirate. (which had to be repeated making it not so fun x2) She actually did the procedure herself. Impressive. With a few exceptions, she had needed O2 (oxygen) most of yesterday, through the night, and so far this morning. There is no news on the tests to report of yet. The CT scan is to be read this morning also.

Last night was very restless for her with lots of monitors going off for this and that, and coughing. When she was able to sleep, she softly moaned from the pain and difficulty breathing.

The big question, is it viral or bacterial, PCP or Legionella, fungi,friend or foe.....? I am thinking we will put our eggs in the friend basket.

Comments

Kathy Hawley said…
My thoughts are with you - I hope all is OK and they are finding the drugs to turn this around! It must be comforting to be together and in the hospital where they can keep close tabs on our girl. I will be sending good thoughts your direction!! Kathy
December 4, 2009 at 12:20 PM
CandyFan said…
Tell Kristin we are thinking of her and we hope she gets better soon and kicks that pnasty pneumonia to the curb.
The Hartman's
December 5, 2009 at 10:48 AM
Lady A said…
Oh wow, please stay encourage. Kristin is in my prayers for full complete healing from the crown of her head to the soles of her feet.
Please speak words of life to her. Regardless of what it seems and/or how bad it looks, just speak life over her. Faith comes by hearing. Words are powerful.
December 5, 2009 at 9:18 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Beginning

Image
Hello to all from Children's Hospital Oakland, California To it still difficult to grasp that we are actually here...hearing this news...living in this new world. Kristin's official diagnosis is ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA precursor b. This is very treatable form of cancer. She is enrolled in a cutting edge program for treating A.L.L.. All of us here are very optimistic. She is under the care of amazing Doctors and the recipient of the miracles of modern medicine. It will be a very rough 2 years or so, but she will survive. Thus far, we have been on the fast track. This is an amazing institution and we are very, very fortunate to be here. Nothing short of kindness and compassion have been shown to us from the very beginning. Upon our arrival on Monday, she has undergone a bone marrow biopsy, 2 lunbar punctures, echo cardiogram, chest x-ray, broviac cath . placement, and numerous pokes and prods. She received her first chemo treatment; injected into the spinal fluid, Wednes
Read more

GO GO SPECIAL K!

Our last bone marrow biopsy went great! It showed no leukemia cells. This shows that she is having a positive early response to the chemo which is a very, very good thing! All of her labs are coming back "smashing!" We are dealing with secondary complications such as situational diabetes. This is only tempoary and should resolve once we are off the strong steroids. Consequently she has to have blood sugars checked often, insulin injections, and follow a carb controlled diet. not fun! In trying to be supportive, I am counting carbs along with her. It is hard when someone has a birthday up here every other day and wants to share their cake. Keep the dang cake to yourselves! Kristin is getting very tired more often and is noticing that she can pull out clumps of hair....I am sad. Although I knew this was coming, I was taken back by the situation and caught off guard. Baldness goes hand in hand with leukemia and every parent up here would rather have a beautifully healthy, shini
Read more

UPDATE

Kristin is currenly in room 5330 getting two units of PRBC's. Her counts are on the way down and I am hoping that this is all the drama we will see. It has been a long, difficult...two months.....seems like forever.... especially as we approach the one year mark. Our daily excursions to Berkley have been uneventful. (I decided that if I had another life, I would like it to be in Berkley. I love this area!) We are going to Alta Bates Hospital. I am taken by the compassion, charity, and warmth that the patients are treated with here. It is the same spirit you feel when you walk onto the 5th floor here at CHO. Wonderful people who truly and compassionately love what they do. Back to her radiation.....Her radiation takes all of two minutes. I call it a "lick." Thankfully she is getting a very low dose so the side effects are pretty much nil. Kristin really looks forward to returning to school on a more regular basis. I cannot begin to tell you of the hardships Kristin has
Read more