TEAM Charlotte: Fever, Inpatient, and a Missed Benefit
Well, here we are... Sitting in a private room in D7North Ward of the Children's Hospital at Albany Medical Center. This all started about 20-hours ago, about midnight on Thursday night. Charlotte woke up in a sweat, had a fever (101.9 F) and wouldn't go back to sleep. In the morning JoAnn called the Oncology Clinic and they said for us to come in immediately. We had a scheduled appointment for Friday afternoon, for blood work, but they wanted us down here right away.
Granny came over with their car, and we drove down, arriving at about 9:45am. They drew some blood, and at that time Char's temp was about 101 still. When the blood work came back the results where that both white cells and red cells were down. The white is concerning as this does not allow her to fight of infections, and because of this she is listed as "Neutrapaenic" and is required to have a individual room. If she goes outside the room, she must wear a mask. The red count is low also, and because of this it is possible that she will need a transfusion. This is not 100% certain at this point, but this is a possible treatment for tomorrow, once Dr. Pearce has seen her again.
Anyway, she is now fast asleep. We think that her fever may have broken (this is yet to be determined), but for now she is at least resting comfortably. This is better than any time in th last 24-hrs...
All of this sadly means that she and JoAnn will have to miss the benefit fundraiser that is taking place tomorrow. This is sad, but Charlotte's health is obviously our number one concern and priority. Toby will still attend as the family representative. Since so many folks are going to be coming out, it is only right for one of us to be there.
Char has to stay for at least 48-hrs without signs of a fever, so the earliest we will leave will be Sunday afternoon. It is possible that we will be here until Monday.
CHARLOTTE UPDATE: Second Round of Chemotherapy
We are now home from a long weekend at Albany Medical Center. We checked in on Thursday evening to get Charlotte started on hydration. Daddy did the night-shift, allowing Mommy to get a half-good night of sleep at the Ronald McDonald House.
Chemo was eventually started at about 11:30am on Friday, having the 4-hour Cisplatin course run through mid-afternoon. Charlotte actually slept for about three of the four hours, this was done to the anit-nausea drugs that basically knocked her out!
Later, Granny and Poppa came to stay with Charlotte, allowing Mommy and Daddy to take a couple of hours to go and have dinner, which they did at The Recovery Room Sports Bar and Grill, which is located on the ground floor of the Hilton Garden Inn directly across the road from the hospital. Great food, and a good time for them to get away and have a short break.
Granny also stayed for the night-shift, allowing both Mommy and Daddy to get a good nights sleep in a real bed, and not a chair that apparently works like a bed! Unfortunately, in the RMH the mattresses are all "Sleep Number" beds, and both Mommy and Daddy set the numbers at 35, but at about 4:30am they had both woken to find the number at 85, and they both have sore backs from the beds being like boards! Whoo-hoo to beds with technology! I think not... 
Saturday was an off day for the chemo drugs, but some anti-nausea drugs were needed. Charlotte had a very cuddlely day, not really wanting to do much but sit and love with Mommy, Daddy or Granny. Poppa returned later in the day to collect Granny, and they went home. Mommy had the overnight on Saturday evening, allowing Daddy to retire to the RMH some sleep.
Sunday morning was time for Vincristin and 5FU chemo drugs, and then dischrage. We left the hospital at about 10:30am and all went back to the RMH. Daddy and Charlotte explored the toy room while Mommy got ready to check out, and we left to come home at about 11:30am. On the way home, Grampa Ron called and said that Gramma Dar was working and wondered if Daddy wanted to go to the Albany River Rats game in Glens Falls with him. Daddy, who loves hockey was right there for this one!
Whilst Daddy and Grampa went to the hockey, Charlotte and Mommy and an evening in catching up on The Wiggles and The Imagination Movers, recorded on DVR while we were away. Good mommy/daughter time! :)
Sunday night brough around a solid 12-hours of sleep for Charlotte, and about 8-hours each for Mommy and Daddy. Monday has shown some nausea again, but the medications appear to be working. Charlotte is still lacking some energy, but this is partly because her hemoglobin counts are low (not enough for high concern yet, though). All other blood counts are within normal levels.
TEAM Charlotte: Dr. Kathy Braico of Adirondack Pediatrics
A number of folk have asked how Charlotte's cancer was diagnosed, so I have added a page to the TEAM Charlotte website that explains this a little more, and gives thanks to the doctor that discovered this.
You can read more about this here, http://www.tobyandjoann.com/charlotte/how-hepatoblastoma-cancer-was-diagnosed/
CHARLOTTE UPDATE: Headed back to Albany Med
Well, Charlotte didn't drink anything again today. 
And didn't eat anything apart from a single spoonful of breakfast cereal, and then some mandarin orange slices in the afternoon.
We called the clinic again from Granny and Poppa's house when we went to pick her up, and the on-call doctor said we need to be at the clinic at 8:30am so they can get a fix for this. We will stay in the Ronald McDonald House overnight, since on Friday we have normal clinic appointment (this may obviously change if we are going in tomorrow).
My main concern is that since she is not passing poop, and not peeing that she still has chemo drugs in her, and without drinking anything those are not getting flushed. So how long is it before something else possibly get's damaged? Will have to ask that tomorrow.
Anyway, she is in bed now, and JoAnn and I are headed that way shortly. Tomorrow will be another long day! xxx
CHARLOTTE UPDATE: Re-hydration at Albany Med
Well, Charlotte had not really drunk anything since Sunday, so this was starting to concern both of us. She was also constipated and had not had a messy diaper since Sunday morning. We had attempted to give her medication for the constipation, but this was difficult as she was not drinking any liquids.
We contacted the Pediatric Oncology/Hematology Clinic at Albany Medical Center (Dr. Pearce is Charlotte's primary care physician while she is undergoing chemotherapy). They told us to bring Charlotte in for evaluation. We got down there at about 2:30pm and they hooked Charlotte up to a IV to get some fluids into her. She was hooked up to this for about 45-mins, and then we were able to leave once Dr. Pearce had talked to us a little.
She told us to give Charlotte a "watery food" diet for a little bit. Yogurt, jello, pudding, fruit juices, etc. I was sitting there thinking, "Hold on! I can do that diet!"
Anyway, we are home now, and Charlotte is sleeping. Time for Mommy and Daddy bedtime soon, it's been an exhausting day, again!
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