2nd Trip to Hospital

We opted to do this chemo treatment in the hospital since Jacob needs TONS of fluids to move the third drug through his system and he was so nauseated last time that he didn't want to drink on his own. He's still in the hospital today - feeling lousy and fine off and on.

He & I drove to the clinic at 7:30 a.m. yesterday. We waited around for a bunch at the clinic to get his labs drawn (they need to check the blood levels before he can be admitted to the hospital - too low is a no go). We stepped outside to have lunch and so did the whole nursing staff because nobody called us to say the numbers were good. So we waited around extra.

At 12:30 p.m. we were filling out paperwork to admit to 4800 (the hemotology/oncology unit at the Loma Linda Children's Hospital). Just after 1 p.m. we made it to Jacob's room that was bedless. Jacob watched tv & I went to 3700 to the pump room. Jacob was anxious to get to the Playroom that didn't open until 2 p.m.

His IV fluids didn't even get started until about 5 p.m. There are just all these logistics that get in the way. The nurse has to do her admitting stuff first. Then she has to wait to get orders. The person who writes the orders was in a meeting. Then the orders are written and we wait for the fluids to arrive. Then Jacob is happy in the playroom so they don't want to yank him out - let him get comfortable first. Then we visit and discuss the plan - maybe we wait until morning to start the chemo. I'm thinking, "are you serious?!!! I got up at 6 a.m. today so we could start the treatment TOMORROW morning?"

Everything in the clinic and in the hospital goes in slow motion. It's grueling because Jon's employment and our other 3 kids and all the friends who have volunteered to watch them are in the other world - where the clock is always ticking and life keeps pushing forward. It's a trick stepping in and out of this 6th dimension.

After sufficient fluids saturated Jacob's system, the chemotherapy was started at 3 a.m. He woke up throwing up stomach bile even though he was on Zofran. He was given a steroid & later Benadryl to help control the nausea. In the later afternoon he was in the playroom while Jon went to his Bloomington office to get on the Verizon network and download his files.

Jacob had a difficult evening - feeling sick. Not eating much. Another dose of Benadryl took him down for a late afternoon nap. Now we wonder if he'll sleep tonight.

It's drug #3 that requires all the hassle. It needs to be flushed through the system which is why the patient has to be very saturated. They it's harmful if it is held in the bladder, so Jacob was woken up every two hours to urinate. He also receives a medication to line the bladder to protect it from the toxic chemical as it comes through. We are even supposed to be careful with his urine and vomit for the next couple of days because it's toxic. Sincerely - WHO thought of this? Does poison really count as a treatment - even if it's helping? Now I understand the crusade to find a cure.

We hope Jacob will sleep well tonight, hydrate, and start eating & drinking. With any luck we'll be bringing him home tomorrow. We really hadn't planned on two nights. My visiting teacher just lined up 3 more sisters to care for our family throughout the day tomorrow. I'll go relieve Jon at the hospital and he has to go to work so we still have a job next week.

Happy Labor Day Weekend!!!