Pop Quiz

My life requires:

A) Healthy Family

B) More Caffeine

C) A Nap

D) All of the Above.





Answer: "A", but "D" would be good, too.

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Two More Weeks

So, Jamie has had three MRI's now. The last one showed that the infection is largely cleared up on the right side but, now, out of the blue, without any symptoms whatsoever, it has appeared on the left side. It's in the mastoid and the Petrous. She was so good for her MRI, staying completely still for 45 minutes in that banging laundry machine, in the hopes that a clear picture would mean the end of her treatments. But, despite her efforts, and enduring three needle pokes in her left arm (they cant get blood back from her PICC so there were two pokes for her IV for the contrast, then, they decided later to take blood, as well...poke three) the treatments continue. We are in, what, week 9 or 10 now of IV antibiotics twice daily over 3 hours each time. Plus an oral antibiotic, as well.

When we were in the hospital it was, obviously, all horrible and hard but we figured we caught it early and "4-6 weeks" of antibiotics would Fix This. We also thought her eyes would just "go back to normal" all on their own one day soon. Set-back after set-back from that idea is hard.

We've also learned that, no, her IV tubing cannot be changed every 4 days, but it needs to be changed Daily! We had a different nurse to the house one day (to change Jamie's bandaging) and she was horrified. She actually said, "I mean, she's just a little girl". Ugh. Can we, please, take proper, good care, of my daughter? Please? So, no, the nurses don't want to come everyday to change her tubing so, in addition to running all her treatments, I'm now in charge of changing the IV line daily. I could go ~on and on~ here at this point, but I'm really trying to stay positive so...yah...I just think the level of *care* and *cleanliness* should remain consistent no matter which nurse comes to the house. Seriously. Frack.

Oh Gawd. And her MRI. That contrast is radioactive, you know. Why doesn't she get IV fluids to help flush/protect her kidneys?! They don't even tell you to give her extra water to drink. Nothing. Are we giving better care to our dogs than our kids?!
Ugh.

This. Is. Stressful.

Two more weeks, then another MRI.

I guess I'll be calling in advance this time to see why she isn't getting fluids.
Advocating, advocating, advocating.





(undercover photo taken by Jamie while her Dad and I speak with one of her Doctors)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad