And Then There Were Lows

10/12/2011: 6:44 PM

The last couple of days have been a blur.  Davis developed a migraine on Monday that intensified on Tuesday. He was experiencing nausea and dizziness.  He explained the feeling as non-stop car sickness.  He didn't have much of a fever, and his chemo on Friday wasn't difficult or sickening by any means, so I called the doctor.  The doctors (a couple doctors/nurses discuss it and make a decision) decided that Davis needed to be admitted for pain control and observation.

Davis and I left Tuesday evening and arrived in St. Louis around 7 P.M. We have to enter through the ER because the hospital is closed after regular business hours. We were given an isolation room (a courtesy and necessity for immuno-suppressed children). 

There was a bit of trouble when Davis' port was accessed. The nurse was unable to get a blood return (drawing blood back into the IV tube to make sure that blood can be pulled out and medication can go into the vein). Another nurse tried unsuccessfully. There was some brief talk about a defective port and/or a clotted port. The IV therapy team was called in. After a long wait and a brief visit from the IV therapy team, Davis' port access was stabilized and working.  The nurse pulled blood for cultures and CBC and a bag of fluids was started.

Hours passed.  Davis and I watched TV to numb our minds and drown out the cries and screams of babies and children in other rooms down the hall.  Not much on in the wee morning hours.  Did you know that giant jellyfish are destroying the fish market and swarming the beaches of Japan?  Did you know that sharks are pulled onto boats and their fins are hacked off, and then they are thrown back into the ocean to drown?  Yep. That's what we learned. Disgusting, huh.

We received some partial results a little after midnight, but his electrolytes had clotted so more blood had to be drawn for another test.  Davis was agitated and adamant that he was not going to 9th floor, and after hours of crying, it was decided it was best that he stay in the ER until a definitive decision was needing to be made.

Test results revealed that Davis was dehydrated - nutrient depleted. This is most assuredly a result of his refusal to eat and drink enough to sustain normal function. He had lost a pound as well. 58 pounds now. His counts were low. His white blood cell count was .2 (healthy kids between 5-10), and  his ANC (absolute neutraphil count - the immune system. Healthy kids are over 1500) was 0. Zero! We are so fortunate. Many cancer kids experience this, but this is our first zero ANC and we are three months into treatment.  Because of his low ANC and his lack of good health, Davis is homebound until he feels better and his counts improve. He also had a low calcium reading, so we are going to supplement his diet (if that is what you call it) with Tums or calcium chews.

We were finally released from the ER at 3:00 AM. We headed to a hotel. Sleep was well overdue. We made it home around 4 PM this evening. Davis slept most of the way home. It was one of the few times that I actually enjoyed the drive. The rain was peacefully drizzling down and the colors on the trees seemed abnormally vibrant. So calm, so serene.

His chemo scheduled for Thursday and Friday has been postponed a week. He doesn't have the counts to support chemo as of now.  He will go to Sarah Bush tomorrow to have another CBC draw. This will see if his counts have improved. That is the goal. If his hemoglobin or platelets have dropped, we will make another trip down to St. Louis tomorrow for transfusions. If he still has this migraine and isn't eating or drinking, we will be heading back as well.

There's no place like home. We were gone for about 24 hours, but it has felt like days. Annakate greeted us with whining. It didn't take me long to see her runny nose. I grabbed the thermometer. Yep. a low-grade fever. She's sick. It looks like a cold or something along that line. Davis and Annakate have been quarantined to separate sections of the house, and I am dividing my time and attention between the two. With Davis' immune system being non-existent, it is vital that they stay away from one another.

My poor babies. You don't think about health much until you are not healthy.  I pray that my children feel better soon.  It is of utmost importance that Davis starts eating and drinking. We continue to pray against all of the side effects and for complete healing, but getting him to a healthier state and getting him back to school is our goal this week. Davis does so much better when he has routine in his life.

Thanks for your support.  We appreciate all of the cards, texts, calls, and emails that you are sending our way.  Very thoughtful.  You never cease to touch our hearts with your kindness. 

We will keep you posted.