First week of work up

OK sorry I have been MIA...we have been non stop with clinic visits, we started out early on Wednesday morning and usually got most of the day. Wednesday was a hectic day she needed some lab work and testing done that involved A LOT of blood from her. I warned them up front that she is extremely hard to get blood from. Well they stuck her once nothing, they stuck her twice and still nothing....third time they stuck her in the foot...still nothing. She said that's it 3 strikes and you are out not more pokes....unfortunately the sticks or rather blood is a must, so down to pediatric vascular access we went. Guess what there was still two sticks there...ugghhh I wanted to scream and she did scream. They finally got it in and got the blood drawn, we thought she wouldn't need the line till Friday and so they pulled it out. Long story short we got a phone call from the BMT nurse and said that she would need a red cell transfusion her hemoglobin was way too low and they wouldn't touch her for a bone marrow biopsy unless the counts were up, so that meant that she would indeed be stuck a 6th time. So our first visit on Thursday was for radiation simulation to get measurements for the actual day of radiation. That was a difficult thing for me because they gave her some xray's in the position that she will be in for the actual radiation day...So I had to leave her in the room by herself and walk back down the long hall to see her on the monitor....SHE LOOKED PETRIFIED....that was hard, you know I have this sign at home that says "There is a many a tears in the heart that never reaches the eye"...was that so true that day... so after that we had to head back to pediatric vascular access to get STUCK again...so this time the lady said she would put one in that she could keep in over night so that she could get her platelets in. Thank you! So the rest of the day went fine she got her first red cell transfusion ever and everything went fine. We went back to the RMH to see Mamaw and papaw and Marshall. Then Friday we got up early to be at the hospital for 9 in the morning so she could get her platelets and her bone marrow biopsy and her central line placed. Well that took all day due to scheduling problems she didn't go back till almost 2:00 and was finished with everything and headed to the RMH by 4:00. At 5:00 the site where the central line was place was still bleeding, so I had to call the BMT doctor on in the transplant ward and he told me what to do to get it to stop and the most important thing was to keep her still for a while so that the clot around the hole could get hard enough to stop the blood from dripping.......yeah easier said than done....but right now she is up in the room laying down with her BFF papaw watching Ramona and Bezaus...

So that is the jest of our week so far, next week is pretty much the same. Until next Friday and she will be admitted to the hospital that morning and have her radiation later in the morning.
I will try to update you as much as I can this week, I think it will be easier once we get admitted because there won't be as much running around and these two weeks. SO for now we have a free weekend to say good bye to dad and Marshall as they head back home.
Have a great weekend!
Blessings,


PS Amelia said to tell Santa and Mrs Claus (AKA Mr.Brian and Mrs.Susan) She loves you and misses you!!!