Hotel California

I was talking to my cousin Karl today and he compared JoJo's current hospital stay to that classic Eagle's song Hotel California. The one that ends with You can check out any time you want. But you can never leave. Indeed. We are at 36 days and counting for what initially was a "brief" stopover.

All of the white coats got together and came up with an antibiotic desensitization protocol for JoAnne. They sent her off to the ICU and loaded her up on Dilaudid to deaden the pain from the growth factor shot she received yesterday. The g-f revs up her bone marrow to produce more blood components and it hurts. They wanted her in ICU in case she encountered any adverse reactions. It took 5 hours to administer the antibiotic in gradually increasing doses and a nurse sat with her the entire time. JoAnne slept through it and was done by 3 PM.

As we sit here at 5 back in her original room, she has come through it with no adverse effects. They will now start to administer the standard dose every 6 hours. If that works for a few days, maybe she can come home Friday. She will need to receive the drug intravenously for the next 6 weeks. There are infusion devices about the size of a tennis ball that are loaded with antibiotic in liquid form. They are connected to JoJo through her port or a PICC line and the device automatically infuses the medicine over a period of time. The device fits in a pocket or pouch so it doesn't overly encumber her from getting around.

Things change quickly around here. I sense that JoJo's case is complicated requiring that the team think hard about how to treat her. We hear of the debates and discussions going on between the different specialties and it usually takes a day or two to reach a consensus. In consideration of the time JoJo has spent on the unit, I asked the PA what the record was for a stay. She just chuckled and said, "You don't want to know. Trust me. We've seen far worse." There is something to be happy about!

As JoJo eats her chicken quesadilla dinner, we are trying to figure out why they sent along a small bowl of mini chocolate chips. Who would want chocolate chips on their quesadilla? Or maybe it belonged to someone else's order. And where are the taco chips she ordered to go with the salsa? I guess it's an honest mistake when you think about it; especially in the multi-cultural university hospital setting.

Time to watch and wait for a couple days. Please join us in praying for no adverse reactions, and that I will be able to get our room at home cleaned and picked up in time for JoJo's pending arrival.

Cancer Sucks