Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Spiked!

Good things often come to an end. The record setting ended with the spike of an early morning fever. For a healthy person it was low, 100.4 degrees F, but a fever nonetheless. A fever can be serious with no immune system; it means the body is trying to fight something. William has nothing with which to fight. Antibiotics were added to his weighty looking I.V. pole and blood was drawn for cultures. His oxygen saturation also went down and a tube blowing oxygen was added next to his pillow. The morphine granting button was increased again and he received his first platelet transfusion since transplant. Baldness is also in his near future with the first short, fine hairs showing up on his pillow. William is now in the comfortable category of "typical". Typical works for us.

The favorite gizmo is the suction stick. Think suction thing at the dentist only bigger. He's experimented all evening with the speed of varying fluids, i.e., spit vs. water vs. sodium bicarbonate, vs. mouthwash. Water is the fastest, but the mouthwash turns the collection canister blue! The nurse just asked that he not try red Gatorade. Agreed.

William's goal tonight is to keep the fevers at bay. My goal tonight is to sleep through all the beeping pumps.

5 comments:

  1. In this case, being "pumped" is not so good. Temporary, though, I'm sure. But when you're at the hospital 24/7, incessant, none the less. We miss you both. Apparently Grandma cannot ever make oatmeal as good as mom. Another oatmeal failure this morning! Oh well, that is why cold cereal is so popular.

    ReplyDelete
  2. hi dearest julie and william and ryan... i just eant you to know how much we are rooting for you all, cheering for you and praying for you. (my computer has been down with a virus for 2 weeks - cause bret insists he is going to fix it himself...so it's taken a bit longer) so i haven't been able to check your blog as often - even on my twin phone as you... so i've been missing your updates - but now i'm all caught up. whew!!! i can't believe what you all are going through. it litereally takes my breath away. you are always in my thoughts....
    love you tons. hang in there.
    xoxo
    k

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thinking of you, praying for you, eating chocolate carmel macadamian nuts thanks to you! Hope you are able to enjoy some too!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Julie, Now my dad has cancer, and if it is even possible, I think of you and your family even more often as we hear about his experiences. Here's hoping you sleep through as many beeping pumps as possible.

    Michelle Rodgers

    ReplyDelete
  5. Julie, Ryan & William, we continue to pray for you all. We especially hope at this vulnerable time that you are all lifted and buoyed with God's love and strength. I hope you get sleep, the fever is managed and that William still has strength to continue experimenting with his mega suctioner...that sounds pretty fun to me. oh, typical is short for an extraordinary kid! :) love you guys!

    ReplyDelete