Surprise Stays

Today was suppose to be a visit to the clinic, but will end up being a 3 day, 2 night stay in the hospital...

I never expected all the drama that ended up happening today, but then again I never do.

A normal day (which it seems to be), can end upside down and inside out.

We got her levels checked, and she needed both platelets and red blood.

The blood can take about 3 hrs. to be ready, so I decided to take Bella in the car for a change of scenery.

Before we left though she started picking at her gums...which I noticed and asked her not to...

well too late, she had already picked and they were bleeding-bad.

With her platelets so low, when she bleeds-it's bad!

So off we went, and when we got to the car I got a call from the nurse saying how they needed 

to draw more blood for some tests-for some reason the lab didn't get enough.

So back to the clinic we went.  They got more blood, and off we went again.

We went and I ran into Trader Joes to grab some things, and while I was in there I got another text

from the clinic saying her name tag didn't transfer her entire name, and they wouldn't order the blood

till they had her entire name on it correctly...really?

So I had to go back to the clinic to make another tag.

We got back and luckily the platelets had arrived, so we decided to start on that transfusion while the red blood came.

As soon as we started giving her the platelets she started throwing up...and it was all blood!

I wasn't shocked or panicking because she had done it before when her nose was bleeding.

But just like when it happened with her nose, as soon as she threw up she got really pale and her blood pressure dropped quickly!

Her head started teatering back and forth, and her eyes started closing...she was starting to pass out.

The nurses quickly came running and her blood pressure was extremely low.

She stayed conscious, but was definitely not all there.

Dr. Afifi (another oncologist) was there during all this and had them rush the blood order so we 

could red blood in her, she had lost more blood from her mouth than anyone had realized.

Once it got in her she was doing much better, but then she started getting a fever.

It is common for kids to have a fever while getting transfusions, although Bella usually does not.

With throwing up the blood, her blood pressure dropping low so quickly, and then the fever...

there was no questions this little munchkin was getting admitted to ICS.

They had a dentist at the hospital come and look at her gums, and he said it looked like her nail had cut her gums.

He prescribed her some mouthwash that can help with they gum hypoplasia-so hopefully that starts working.

Good news:

we were at the hospital when all this went down, and not in the car or at home.

Bad news:

Hospital stays with a 2 yr. old for 2 nights is not fun!

I am exhausted, emotionally and physically.

Most days I am though.

I am grateful that Bella is being watched tonight, and that I don't need to worry about her.

She is SO tough.

Dr. Afifi was shocked how fast she bounced back to "normal" once the blood started in her.

She said that no one over at ICS was going to believe her when she wrote what had happened...

I am grateful how strong her little body is, and how happy and content she can be after all that happens to her.

I never know what to expect each day with her, but I can expect to smile and feel her sweet spirit.

She hardly ever complains (other than taking her medicine)...she's such a trooper!

So hopefully her fever was just a fluke, and she can be outta here in 48 hrs.

Until then, huge paintbrushes and paint will keep her happy...hopefully!