And we were discharged today!!! It feels really good to be "free". I am so pleased this admission was only a short one. Staying in hospital is usually not that bad, but total isolation - not fun!!!
So basically Bianca's blood cultures came back negative which means she wasn't fighting some or the other bacterial infection. That means it was just the spot on the side of her head. We do feel it was some form of either chickenpox or shingles, but a reactive situation rather than a full-blown illness. Of course the downside of being discharged is that we are now responsible for her antibiotic and anti-viral medication. The antibiotic seems to taste horrible (well Bianca pulls this massive face each time) and has to be given on an empty stomach 4 times a day (so 2 hours after eating and an hour before eating). This will be given for 7 days. The anti-viral is supposed to be given every 6 hours, but the pharmacist said we should basically work it out so that we can give it during awake hours and that way we won't have to wake her up at some horrible time in the night to give her her medicine. This will be given for 14 days. The anti-viral is a tablet and a bit bigger than Bianca's usual tablets, but she is comfortable swallowing this as well.
When I went to collect the medicine, the pharmacist walked over to me and said "the one is a liquid, but unfortunately the other one is a tablet, so you may have to crush it up" And I just smiled and then said "that is fine, Bianca is able to swallow tablets". I think he was quite a bit surprised.
I am now busy making another schedule that we can stick up in the kitchen and tick off as we go along. It feels a bit like having a new baby in the house with a 3 / 4 hourly routine.
We have to be back on Monday morning and will have to go to the isolation area until they are happy that Bianca does not pose any further risk to any of the other children. This will be for a blood test and then probably a quick check-up. And in the meantime, no ballet!
So basically today Bianca had:
So basically Bianca's blood cultures came back negative which means she wasn't fighting some or the other bacterial infection. That means it was just the spot on the side of her head. We do feel it was some form of either chickenpox or shingles, but a reactive situation rather than a full-blown illness. Of course the downside of being discharged is that we are now responsible for her antibiotic and anti-viral medication. The antibiotic seems to taste horrible (well Bianca pulls this massive face each time) and has to be given on an empty stomach 4 times a day (so 2 hours after eating and an hour before eating). This will be given for 7 days. The anti-viral is supposed to be given every 6 hours, but the pharmacist said we should basically work it out so that we can give it during awake hours and that way we won't have to wake her up at some horrible time in the night to give her her medicine. This will be given for 14 days. The anti-viral is a tablet and a bit bigger than Bianca's usual tablets, but she is comfortable swallowing this as well.
When I went to collect the medicine, the pharmacist walked over to me and said "the one is a liquid, but unfortunately the other one is a tablet, so you may have to crush it up" And I just smiled and then said "that is fine, Bianca is able to swallow tablets". I think he was quite a bit surprised.
I am now busy making another schedule that we can stick up in the kitchen and tick off as we go along. It feels a bit like having a new baby in the house with a 3 / 4 hourly routine.
We have to be back on Monday morning and will have to go to the isolation area until they are happy that Bianca does not pose any further risk to any of the other children. This will be for a blood test and then probably a quick check-up. And in the meantime, no ballet!
So basically today Bianca had:
- Co-trimoxazole (antibiotic), 6.25ml twice a day, 3 days a week
- Dexamethasone (steroid) - last two tablets for this month
- Flucloxacillin (antibiotic) - 10ml 4 times a day for 7 days given on an empty stomach
- Aciclovir (anti-viral) - 1 tablet every 6 hours for 14 days
- Mercaptopurine (chemo) 2 tablets every single night given on an empty stomach
We have finished our 5 days of Dex. and I am pleased to say that the side-effects were once again minimal. Bianca didn't get overly moody and also not overly hungry, so I am hopeful that this will continue.
Please include little Lucy in your prayers and thoughts. Not only was she recently diagnosed with leukemia, but she is also battling an aggressive fungal infection in her lungs which makes her prognosis very poor. They will be having a CT Scan and a lumbar puncture and bone marrow in the next two days and they will then hopefully have some good news. You can follow their progress here.
Please include little Lucy in your prayers and thoughts. Not only was she recently diagnosed with leukemia, but she is also battling an aggressive fungal infection in her lungs which makes her prognosis very poor. They will be having a CT Scan and a lumbar puncture and bone marrow in the next two days and they will then hopefully have some good news. You can follow their progress here.
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2 comments:
Hi Lea,
That is brilliant news. There's no place like home. That's the good thing about Maintenance, at least your neutrophils should be ok and hospital stays should be short.
Also, thanks for posting Michael Laws website, as we have been thinking about him a lot.
Take care,
Bridget and Peter
... Mercaptopurine (chemo) 2 tablets every single night given on an empty stomach
wow.. why do you give it on an empty stomach? Mine says take with food... That seems so harsh! I give Tristan his crushed up in a jelly sandwich - little square only an inch. I sure hope to not have to give on an empty anytime soon!
Glad you are back home! You have just had too many hospital stays! Time for a BREAK!
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