Isolation

I'm sick. Not as sick as I was last week but still sick. And due to a large increase of RSV cases in the hospital, the oncology unit and clinic have made some new policies to protect its patients. Visitors or family members 12 and younger are not allowed (with the exception of breastfeeding babies). Everyone who comes in must go through a health screening. Patients who are at an especially high risk are put in isolation. And patients with sick parents (Carter) or who are sick themselves are also put in isolation. Good thing I didn't have a fever anymore or we would've been sent home! So our entire 8 hour day at the clinic yesterday was spent in one room. The nurses and doctors had to put on a full disposable gown, gloves, and a mask just to come into our room. Then take it off at the door and throw it all away before leaving. Even the food we ordered had to be on disposable dishes. I felt like I had leprosy. Or the plague. And I felt so bad that it was my fault Carter had to be stuck in that room all day long. He couldn't even leave the room to go potty (they let me leave for that reason as long as I washed my hands first and wore a mask.)! He thought this toilet cabinet was both hilarious and awesome. He wants one at our house. I thought it was pretty funny too, and I'm so glad they didn't made me use it!

Other than all that, it was a pretty good day at the clinic. Carter's counts are still good but won't be for long with all the chemo he got. White blood cells 3800, ANC 2400. Hemoglobin 9.6 and platelets 360,000. He got Cyclophosphamide which is why we were there for so long. It's a once a month drug because it's intense and lasts a while. He has to be on IV fluids for about 2 hours before getting it and then 4 hours after. It has a side effect of being harsh on the kidneys and bladder so they want him well hydrated. And we're back on the chemo that I have to give him at home through his port. He's pretty bummed that he has to have his tubie in still.

Last Friday, Carter had to go back to the Emergency Room. That's three times in less than a week! He had a fever again (which was gone by the time they got to the hospital, of course!) and it should've been the same as last time. If his counts were still good (which they were), they would give him an antibiotic and send him home. Well, it was about 1 or 2 in the morning (Dennison was with him) and the ER doctor came in to check him out. Carter was sleeping so the Dr. woke him up and started pushing on his stomach to see if he had any discomfort. Well, of course Carter started freaking out, he'd just been woken up by a stranger who was now pushing on his stomach. The Dr. took this to mean that his stomach was really hurting. Dennison didn't think his assessment was accurate so a little later he pushed on his stomach and Carter had no reaction. He told the Dr. but it didn't change his opinion. He admitted them to the hospital. Once they got upstairs, the Oncologist came to talk with them and Dennison asked him if the only reason they were admitted was because of the stomach thing. The Dr. told him yes and that he didn't agree with the decision but the ER Dr. felt very strongly about admitting them. So the plan was to be there for 24 hours. As long as the fever didn't come back and the blood culture was clean. In the morning, the Oncologist came back and did another exam on Carter. He was totally fine so the Dr. said that there's really no reason for him to be there and sent them home. Kind of annoying that they had to stay the night for no good reason, but better safe than sorry I guess. And we all got to go to church together on Sunday!

Let's hope this week is a lot more boring than last week!