Day Fourteen

Hi everyone

Another long night and day for us all and our Tinkerbell girl Imogen, had more changes to antibiotics and all the blood cultures have come back revealing nothing. Typically a good sign as it means the temps are because she has no immune system (neutropenic), not because she has a nasty bug. The amount of changes made to Imogen’s drugs and the drugs hanging on Immie’s IV pole are incredible, just when you think they can’t add another pump another is added.

Immie’s body’s minerals are struggling to recover from the mega therapy so, replacement potassium, magnesium, sulphur, and phosphate are regularly hung and retested for levels during the day from finger pricks. Immies NG tube feeds have not been progressing very well, we are on our third type of feed, at only 10mls an hour. The docs have suggested that we could be headed to IV feeds, another balancing act when mixed with no immune system, antibiotics and the sugars in the IV feed (could increase an infection), though all the missing minerals can be added into them.

On a positive note Dr Nick, thinks her mouth looks a bit better, but her stomach ulcers are still not happy which is obvious when she chucks up blood (horrible horrible to watch). Immie has been very restless the afternoon struggling to get comfortable with her sad tummy and diarrhoea. Immie is now covered with every drug possible and has an increased morphine drip; it is just a long long waiting game. Dr Nick and I discuss what day we were aiming for a change in the neutrophilis counts I said Wednesday he said mmmm...maybe Friday or end of week. He has been a gem, giving Imogen the best of care, his dedication is inspiring.

I am very lucky most days to have my mum visit to give me a break and my sister to laugh with me about what the celebs are doing and saying as she purchased me every trashy magazine in the hospital shop. I am a celeb info queen (lol).

Waiting, Waiting, Waiting, come on you super stem cells

Thanks for all sending prayers, positive thoughts and everything else,

Love Fiona “Angelina Jolie or maybe Madonna” Holmes

http://picasaweb.google.com.au/theholmesgang/DayFourteen#5259205164730063890

or

http://picasaweb.google.com.au/theholmesgang

Counts –
Red cells – 77
Platelets – 14 (transfusion given)
Neutrophilis – 0.01