Saturday, September 30th

The Good.. the Bad.. and the Ugly. We’ve had it all in the past 10 days! Every time I’ve tried to find the time to write an update something else has happened, but I have finally find the time and a quiet moment. Let’s hope it stays that way.

Kerrie’s had a lot happen in the last two weeks… A possible trip to the ICU (which she narrowly escaped… not sure how she was able to convince them that she wasn’t that sick)..chest x-rays, lot’s of pain in the appendix and kidneys ( all tests indicated there was nothing wrong), the threat of possible MRI’s and more pain meds than most people can imagine. Then, last Tuesday, her transplant doctor came in the room and said she wanted to send her home for a few days.. but couldn’t let her leave the hospital when she was still using continuous pain meds through her IV.

So… they did away with the continous pain meds and started giving them to her orally.

Although it was good to get her off the continous feed, this resulted in her going through some pretty rough withdrawals from the pain killers. She says she now knows what people go through when going through detox. She also developed another rash, though it didn’t seem to be as bad as the first one.

Now.. for some really good news.

Kerrie was released from the hospital, on Thursday night, and came home. Mom said the nurses were all having a party in her room to see her off…. when mom was out in the parking lot, loading up the car, she looked up at Kerrie’s room and it looked like a bunch of people dancing around to Reggae music.

After two months in her hospital room, she was finally able to walk out the door of the hospital and outdoors. Her first words.. “It’s cold!”

Friday, started out at as great day.. Kerrie was sleeping in her bed, mom was happy and we headed to NOMC ( the hospital where Kerrie and mom work), so that I could help with the Bake Sale & Craft Sale.

The Bake Sale & Craft sale was a huge success and I was totally blown away by the support the hospital staff has shown Kerrie. They are truly an amazing group of people.As soon as I can, I will put pictures in the gallery, so everyone can see the outstanding people Kerrie works with.

After the Bake Sale, I was headed home and Mom and Kerrie were going to head outside for a ride in the car and to get Kerrie out into some fresh air. Unfortunately, that’s when things started going wrong.

Although the hospital dermatolgists didn’t feel her rash was enough to keep her from going home, it began to get worse on Friday afternoon. This time, it was worse than the first time around and she was a getting really red. Mom called Dr. Jana, her transplant doctor, and we headed to the ER.

“Just a quick trip to the ER Kerrie.. nothing to worry about.” But we were worried that we we’re going to have to re-admit her.Yeah.. just a quick trip to the ER. We arrived at 3:30 and, by 5:00pm, when they had called everyone in the waiting room BUT her, I was getting a little irritated, impatient and “verbal” about it.I think I told mom that if they took one more sprained ankle ahead of her I was going to have a talk with the staff.

Mom and Kerrie both kept telling me I just didn’t understand how Triage worked.. but I can’t see how a sprained ankle would take precedence over her. When a guy walked in, who looked like he had almost nothing wrong with him, and they were ready to take him back right away I had decided enough was enough. Just as I was about to start complaining, they finally called Kerrie back into the ER. Then.. we sat.. and waited.. while they cleaned an isololation room for her. I wasn’t sure if they were trying to isolate HER, so she wasn’t around the other people who were sick.. of they were trying to isolate her so SHE wouldn’t give the other people what she had :). By 6:00pm we still hadn’t seen a doctor and she looked like a giant, red cauliflower from head to toe.

By 6:30pm, still no doctor, the rash was getting continously worse, Kerrie was a miserable, itchy, painful mess and I was ready to head up to the Bone Marrow Transplant floor to talk to her staff. They wouldn’t be able to take care of her themselves, but they liked her so much that if I told them she was downstairs, had been there for 3 hours and nothing had been done they would have probably started making phone calls. My next thought was to put a sign on the door to the room that we were in that said ” we’ve been here for more than 3 hours.. where’s the F-ing doctor?” They were saved this fate, because just then the doctor came in. They have no idea how lucky there are, but those of you who know me.. and know how I get when I’m irritated, know how lucky they are 🙂

He took a brief look at Kerrie and then went to get another doctor.. 30 minutes passed and he came back. The two doctors looked her over and then left the room..”we’ll be back in a minute with some medication”.. yeah, sure. 30 minutes passed.. Kerrie was miserable and could only say ” I want to leave.. I didn’t even get 24 hours.”

We still weren’t sure she wasn’t going to be re-admitted, but we were keeping our fingers crossed. They gave her some medication and we waited to see if it would work.. by 8:30pm they gave her a bunch of perscriptions and we were able to leave the hospital again.

Saturday has been pretty uneventful! The rash is still keeping her from being too comfortable, but no trips to the ER today. Hopefully she will feel well enough, tomorrow, that we’ll be able to get outside for a little while.

The next week we should be getting ready for the bone marrow transplant. I have to go back to the hospital, on Monday, for more tests… perhaps they want to re-do them, since it’s been two months since were were originally supposed to do this? Kerrie goes back to the hospital, on Thursday, for a MUGGA scan on her heart, chest x-rays, etc. The MUGGA scan will make sure her heart is strong enough to withstand the chemo she will need to go through for the transplant and the other tests are just to make sure she is still healthy enough to proceed.

Once she and I have both been “cleared” we should be setting a date for the transplant. We believe Kerrie will have 7 – 10 days at home, to rest, and she will then be re-admitted. Keep your fingers crossed that everything goes well with our tests and nothing else “pops up” that will delay us. This is the 3rd time we have been ready to do the transplant.. so hopefully, the “third times the charm.”

Kerrie can have visitors, but the same policies are in effect as were at the hospital. Not too many people at one time… no one that’s sick, no small children, and be prepared that she will tire very easily. She can go outside, but can’t be in public venues.. so no Bingo 🙁

Keep you eye on the Gallery for some great pics of the bake sale, Kerrie, etc. It may be a day or two before I get them on here. It just depends on how often she snaps her fingers and says she needs something. I’m waiting on her hand and foot, as a good sister should…

She’s snapping her fingers again and saying something about wanting a foot massage.. so I have to go 🙂

More again soon…