New Years Eve- Day -11

Well, we made it! We got to the hospital at 7 this morning (not terribly bright, but very early). Tessa was fortunate to get the first slot for her central line placement, that meant that she didn't have to fast all day. Small victories. The line placement is a surgical procedure so there lots of people involved (including one very uppity nurse who almost got her butt handed to her). She came out of it okay, but you can see where there was a first attempt that has bled slowly over the day. So she has her line and this bloody ooze under this big clear bandage (tegaderm) on her chest. Nice. Because of the Indomethacin she was taking her platelets don't work properly so she is at a higher risk of bleeding. She's also been put on a heparin drip which is a preventative medication for a side effect of transplant called veno-occlusive disease. The heparin further inhibits her clotting ability, so she will be at even higher risk of bleeding. I asked the doctor where she would be bleeding from. He explained that bleeding was most likely to occur in the intestine, which is prone to irritation, or from microscopic holes in her skin. Um, what?

Anyway, she's also been taken off pretty much all her meds. Made a switch from prednisone (steroid) to hydrocortisone (about 40% of the previous dose, pretty drastic reduction), hoping the bone pain doesn't come roaring down the pike.

On the bright side her room is decorated in a manner worthy of a princess...pink canopy over the bed, princess decals, glow in the dark stars. It's pretty fabulous! We have our own tv and bathroom. Unfortunately the nurse just informed us that the bathroom is for Tessa only. We have to use the bathroom in the community kitchen. We are also not allowed to use the bath or shower unless housekeeping cleans it immediately after, so we'll have to let them know ahead of time when we want to bath or find someplace else. Uhhhhh... You know I live here now right?

Well, hope you are all out celebrating the coming of the New Year in style. Tessa and I are celebrating with a few episodes of Arthur and hospital bedding. Poor Casey is celebrating all alone at his parent's house where the heat has been off all day. Poor guy.

Happy New Year!