February Infusion

Oh its always fun.  Every infusion is different.  I can giggle now.  *Note to self:  Never infuse in front of nurses station.  They talk about a lot more than just medical stuff.  Don't get me wrong, they were appropriate but even when they disagree with each other or other people, its not fun.  The volume on my ipad wouldn't go loud enough.  It's like taking a nap in the middle of a cocktail party.

Gary did good though.  He was on the floor because their chairs are just not his size.  I am going to bring a blow up mini mattress from now on.  Next month we are admitted to the hospital because he gets IVIG and Pamidronate.

Gary's labs are doing fine still.  He did have a lot L's on it this time that I am not use to seeing.  I asked the nurse right why is almost all his numbers marked with a High or Low symbol.  She started to go through each number and explained that with all his medications and the fact he has a disease that they expect that.  She said his labs are very close to normal like by one number so it is nothing to worry about.   Yeah.  Ok.

We dealt with the drama of not having enough time in the infusion center.  They came to me and said, "the infusion center closes at 730.  At the rate we have his infusion set and the delay, we are going to run out of time so here is what we are going to do.  I already called the doctor and she ok'd it.  We are going to bump the rate of up at the end in order to get the entire treatment finished."  She sat there and rambled on about how it was important he get the whole dose.  Blah.  Blah.  Blah.  I said no.  I told her I don't feel comfortable risking making him sick or pushing a reaction because people are inconvenienced by time and want to go home.  I told her I would be willing to come back tomorrow and go home with the IV in.  We had an appointment with a GI specialist so whatever, no big deal.  Then I said what about just admitting us then?  Put us on the floor.  She said they won't do that.  Ok.  Moments later our Doctor dropped in.  She was checking on Gary.  I told her I am not comfortable with pushing the rate of the infusion.  She said no problem.  We will just admit you.  I looked at the nurse and said, "yeah, I asked about that".     They were agitated.  The nurse said we have to wait for admission to call when a bed is ready.  Dr. E said there is no bed shortage that she had heard of so it shouldn't be a problem.  After the doctor left I heard a small discussion about exceptions and the what not's of the whole situation.  Left hand talking to the right hand.  The nurse came back and said we probably wouldn't be admitted until 630.  Well Gary is sleeping on the floor right now so why not just send us now so he can sleep in a bed.  Get settle, get comfy, get away from all this noise.  She said she didn't have control of that.  She had to wait for admission to call her.  Ok, because they knew that if we were admitted at 630 by the time admission was complete, we would be ready for discharge.  So after all this 630 rolled around and in walked a charge nurse with a calculator and 2 other nurses.  She figured out that we would indeed be finished by 730.  Really, after all that.  Made me giggle in a exhausted sort of way.

The Popsicle

After Gary awoke from his benadryl coma, he had hankering for a popsicle.  They didn't have any.  So for one of the first times in our history with Seattle Childrens Hospital, I left him alone.  Awake.  I have snuck down to Starbucks maybe once or twice.  I ask the nurse to watch him as her desk was right in front of where we were being infused.  It was quick and did the trick.