Day 29

Yes we're all alive and mostly well. Good thing I prefaced my last post with the suggestion that I might not be posting as often or I would have gotten even more concerned emails of the "where did you go?" variety. Sunday night left me with only a few hours of sleep. Despite exhaustion I kept an appointment I had made for Monday to donate blood. In hindsight I will make the suggestion here to anyone who finds themselves in a situation like the one we are in to keep all of their blood intact until such a date that you do not need all your antibodies so much. Monday was another sleepless night, and Tuesday morning found me in bad shape. I came down with a stomach virus and have been quarantined at my dear in-law's house since Saturday afternoon. I did not handle the separation from Tessa well. I started Tuesday morning (knowing that I was going to have to leave and not see her for an undetermined period of time) by unleashing my inner beast at poor unsuspecting Casey. After leaving I proceeded to cry every time I thought about her. It was not pretty. But as we have learned a body can get used to anything. I just signed off of Skype with Tessa and Casey (we spend several hours a day hanging out on line), and she barely even registered the farewell. I'm feeling a little jilted, but glad to know she's quite happy. Casey is such a fantastic dad that he has born up to the challenge of around the clock care with no complaints and is just wonderful with her. 

Tessa is doing really well, her counts bounded up again today which is wonderful. She's on a bunch of meds, but I'm not entirely in the loop right now. I know she's suffering quite a bit of swelling in her hands from water retention, and I gather it's quite painful. There was some talk about draining some of the fluid off of her (not sure how that would be done, doesn't sound pleasant), but as a new doc has come on rotation the decision is to try and let her body adapt on it's own. Aside from that it is all pretty much status quo. She's getting out for her walks in the hall and eating like a champ (thank you steroids). Just a side note, because of all the swelling she has as a result of fluid and steroids (the swelling from the previous course of steroids never had a chance to go down, and now she's on a new course so it's even worse) she has grown. If you are inclined to send clothes we are buying size 7s. I exchange things when I can, but it's not always possible. 

I'm including some pictures from earlier in the week...

Tessa post bath wrapped in warm blankets and getting a foot/leg massage.

Daddy holding Tessa's mask, and Tessa holding her baby's mask on her while the maid cleans the room.

Princess Tessa and her pink paint.

At home Casey and I would swing Tessa in a blanket hammock.

 Tessa swinging in her hammock, she loves it!

Playing soccer bowling in the hall.

Knocking down the bowling pins with the soccer ball.

Nurse mommy working on removing Tessa's central line dressing.

 Dressing change.

This is the view that I've had of Tessa for the last 5 days. 

I'm feeling much better, and the plan right now is that I will return to the hospital tomorrow. That little girl better brace herself cuz I have 5 days of kisses and hugs saved up that need to come out!

As an afterthought I realize that my writing in this post has assumed a rather certain tone...probably the result of watching the first two seasons of Downton Abbey in the last 2 days!!!!