Day 31- Flippen ER

Ella woke up at 4am with a temperature of 101.3. She was really warm from sleeping, so I decided to wait till 6am and get her up and check again. If her temperature is 101, that's our magic number to call the Dr. and go in to the hospital. We can't give her any medications for fever. When we got up, Steve took her temp and it was 100.3. For the rest of the day we played a wait and see game as her temp fluctuated in the 100's. Steve had a marathon in Iowa this weekend, and he left around 3pm. If he would have skipped the marathon, I am sure her temp would have stayed in the 100's, but as Murphy would have it, he left and around 6.30, her temp hit 101.5.

So off Josh, Ella and I went to the ER. One of the Dr.'s in our group also works at St.Alexis in Hoffman Estates- so he called ahead and had us go there instead of heading out to Chicago.  Josh wanted to come, because he had not been to the hospital yet through this adventure and wanted to know what it was like. I thought it would help him have a better understanding of what she is really going through, so he came. Next time I think I'll drive to Loyola. Carrie came and got Josh and they left around 9.30.

They didn't want to access her port. so they put in an IV. Her veins rolled, but they got it. Then she had an X-Ray, blood work, urine analysis, and ultrasound. They decided around 11 that they would give her a really strong anti-biotic in the IV. They inserted it, but the IV was no longer in the vein and it just burned and puffed up under her skin. They removed the IV and decided to give it to her in a shot. This took until 12.42 to get. In the meantime, the pediatric doctor decided to leave because we were the last ones left- so they moved us to the adult ER area. This is not a pretty area at midnight! Cops all over and adults with bloody bandages. They were going to leave us in the bed, in the hallway to wait for the shot. No fricken way! So the charge nurse put us in an empty room. About 10 minutes later, they came and gave her 2 shots in the thighs, she was pissed and tired and just screamed. This whole time she insists on laying on me so she can rest- so I'm in the bed too. I just sat there stroking her hair, and singing to her. Unfortunately, the hair stroking resulted in her hair falling out all over the place. She has started handing it to me now to throw away when she finds it on her clothes or pillow. After her shot they said they would be back in 10 minutes with the discharge papers so we could go home. Just so everyone knows- when anyone in a hospital says 10 minutes- it doesn't really mean 10 minutes. They left us in there for 40 more minutes. I finally reached far enough over to hit the call button without waking Ella, and I could here them say "Why is the call light on in room 14? No one is in there." quickly followed by an "Oh Shit!" 10 minutes later a different nurse comes in with discharge papers and tells me to give her Tylenol for her fever. Are you Fricken kidding me? So, until this, I would rarely question a medical professional- but now.... I told her "NO, I don't think so". She said "Okay you can give her Motrin too." They my tiredness kicked in a little and I explained to her in a not so polite tone that if I could just give her Motrin then I would not have just spent five and a half hours in the Flippen ER because my baby had a fever! SHE HAS CANCER!
We got home around 1.30am. Ella appetite is already gone from being on steroids, and now I have to con her into eating so I can give her her medications. Her legs still hurt and I have to carry her to the bathroom. Josh is happily hanging out with Aunt Carrie today and I am just waiting around to see if her fever changes. We are still on the 100's.

All I wanted for her was to have this week to play and smile and be a little bit of herself. I just want her to be happy. I'm so PISSED at Cancer right now, and at the same time, I know this is just the beginning. I wish I had a time remote, I would fast forward- just through the parts where she hurts and I'm helpless.

Katie