Day -1, oops, a fever

The BMT protocol Dr. Graham uses numbers the treatment days starting from the day she gets the "transplant"--the receiving of her stem cells. That is Day 0. Today is Day -1, the day before the transplant. Abby has been having good days, continuing to impress the staff by retaining her appetite (most kids stop eating the day they get the Melphalan), and doing her 1-mile a day walks at quite an accelerated pace (sometimes she walks faster than her dad). She has developed a reputation around the unit even in the short week she has been here, and spreads cheer wherever she goes.

Surprisingly, because most of the patients on the unit hang out in their rooms and doors stay closed, it is sometimes easy to forget how many other patients are here. Abby's next door neighbor seems to be having a particularly hard time. She is about Abby's age, and definitely needs some prayer.

Late this evening I found that Abby felt warm to me; the nurse took her temp and sure enough she is running a fever. Dr. Andreansky has already started her on Vancomycin and Cefepime, our old "friends." Cultures have been drawn to check for line infections. He says this will not interfere with her transplant tomorrow. Please pray this is a simple neutropenia fever, and not something more serious.

In a more general sense, we seem to have settled in here. We've developed a schedule that seems to be working for us and the kids are adapting. We still have our bumpy spots, but I can't even begin to list the things large and small that I am thankful to God for--things like reliable broadband at our house AND in the hospital, strangers bringing us meals, the fact that our house is so close to the hospital, and yet the neighborhood is so quiet, the desert birds nesting in the mature trees and bushes around the house (their chirping and warbling is so peaceful), and the sense of peace brought by the Holy Spirit.