6/2/09---No go on the WBC transfusion
Last night I received the growth factor shot and 8 mg. of dexamethasone steroid to help reduce the effects of bone pain from the growth factor shot. The shot didn't hurt and I didn't really feel any bone pain. I felt fatigued last night, but some of that might have been lack of sleep the night before from anxiety over the procedure and about what to expect in the bone marrow results from Peter. I also had just eaten, but I think part of it was from the shot and the combination of other things. I took some ibuprofen and turned in early. I slept in later than usual today since I was going straight to the Red Cross at 10:00.
The Red Cross turned me away because they said I didn't have a good enough vein structure to do the procedure or to ever give blood or platelets. I've been told over the years that I'm a very hard stick and to never consider giving blood, which has always bothered me because I always believed this was the ultimate gift you could give other than being an organ donor, which we both are as is my son.
I did try to explain when they drew labs on me Sunday that I was told I was a hard stick. I have had a few people be able to get labs on me over the years with ease, while most poke several times and send me to someone else. They had no trouble on Sunday.
I was told that the Red Cross people stick people all the time and are very good and I would have no problems. No one took the time or interest along the way to check my veins and see if they looked good enough. It's not their job, but the Red Cross said it would have kept me from getting our hopes up so high.
The other thing that I asked when I got the growth factor shot was about drinking plenty of fluids. I was told once when labs were difficult to draw that it helps to drink lots of fluids to make your veins swell up more. Peter has been told this to when he used to just get up, have some juice and pills, and rush off to the clinic to have a finger stick.
I was told that I didn't need to drink any extra fluids or eat or avoid any foods or special steps, but just to rest and it would all be fine. The Red Cross said they should have encouraged me to drink lots of fluids, but they said all the fluids in the world would not help my situation. I broke down and cried because I felt that I had let Peter down in a very big way and was so happy that I finally had something I could do to help him more than just with physical and emotional needs.
I went straight to the hospital and woke him up to break the news. There were not any copies of labs in the room for me to check, but he said not to worry because the doctor told him that his white count came up and all his numbers were doing really well. He said there was too much hurrying around and rushing to make all this happen and he knew he just needed to rest and wait. I did feel better, but would still wish I could donate blood products for him or anyone else.
I found the doctor and his nurse and got copies of his labs. The doctor said not to worry or feel badly and that things were moving in the right direction. Peter's white count had actually come up considerably since yesterday so perhaps it will come around now. He needed some platelets that he got first thing this morning and the nurse was one that we had before and who made sure that Peter drank an entire carton of milk with his pills and a few bites of food.
When I returned to his room he announced out of the blue that he wanted a visit with Dr. Barlogie. He said he needed to talk to him personally and get real information on choices and prognosis. I explained that the doctor might not be able to tell as much as if he'd have the bone marrow biopsy to be able to make a better call. I think he's still under the impression that it's not going to come back with good results. He said he just wants to know from the doctor if this disease is so aggressive and is coming back so fast again and again after all the chemo and treatments and transplant last year and this year, what choices are left and what kind of quality of life go with those choices.
I asked him if he'd mentioned this to the doctor and he said he hadn't. I had complete confidence that the doctor and social worker that I talked to yesterday would talk to the head doctor on Thursday, but I thought it might be a good idea to drop the doctor a brief email and just let him know exactly what Peter wanted to know so that when he met with the team at Thursday's meeting they could discuss everything and then hopefully come give Peter the answers he wanted. The doctor replied that he would see us Thursday.
So, we'll see if his white count does actually continue to go up and what Dr. Barlogie says on Thursday.
The decision in the end will be Peter's. I did ask Peter to please take everything (legal matters, problems at home, finances, me) out of the equation and make any decision on what he felt like he wanted out of his life and what he was willing to go through or not go through to have the quality of life and energy and activity level that he wants. Nothing else matters. I hope that he will be able to do that.
The Red Cross turned me away because they said I didn't have a good enough vein structure to do the procedure or to ever give blood or platelets. I've been told over the years that I'm a very hard stick and to never consider giving blood, which has always bothered me because I always believed this was the ultimate gift you could give other than being an organ donor, which we both are as is my son.
I did try to explain when they drew labs on me Sunday that I was told I was a hard stick. I have had a few people be able to get labs on me over the years with ease, while most poke several times and send me to someone else. They had no trouble on Sunday.
I was told that the Red Cross people stick people all the time and are very good and I would have no problems. No one took the time or interest along the way to check my veins and see if they looked good enough. It's not their job, but the Red Cross said it would have kept me from getting our hopes up so high.
The other thing that I asked when I got the growth factor shot was about drinking plenty of fluids. I was told once when labs were difficult to draw that it helps to drink lots of fluids to make your veins swell up more. Peter has been told this to when he used to just get up, have some juice and pills, and rush off to the clinic to have a finger stick.
I was told that I didn't need to drink any extra fluids or eat or avoid any foods or special steps, but just to rest and it would all be fine. The Red Cross said they should have encouraged me to drink lots of fluids, but they said all the fluids in the world would not help my situation. I broke down and cried because I felt that I had let Peter down in a very big way and was so happy that I finally had something I could do to help him more than just with physical and emotional needs.
I went straight to the hospital and woke him up to break the news. There were not any copies of labs in the room for me to check, but he said not to worry because the doctor told him that his white count came up and all his numbers were doing really well. He said there was too much hurrying around and rushing to make all this happen and he knew he just needed to rest and wait. I did feel better, but would still wish I could donate blood products for him or anyone else.
I found the doctor and his nurse and got copies of his labs. The doctor said not to worry or feel badly and that things were moving in the right direction. Peter's white count had actually come up considerably since yesterday so perhaps it will come around now. He needed some platelets that he got first thing this morning and the nurse was one that we had before and who made sure that Peter drank an entire carton of milk with his pills and a few bites of food.
When I returned to his room he announced out of the blue that he wanted a visit with Dr. Barlogie. He said he needed to talk to him personally and get real information on choices and prognosis. I explained that the doctor might not be able to tell as much as if he'd have the bone marrow biopsy to be able to make a better call. I think he's still under the impression that it's not going to come back with good results. He said he just wants to know from the doctor if this disease is so aggressive and is coming back so fast again and again after all the chemo and treatments and transplant last year and this year, what choices are left and what kind of quality of life go with those choices.
I asked him if he'd mentioned this to the doctor and he said he hadn't. I had complete confidence that the doctor and social worker that I talked to yesterday would talk to the head doctor on Thursday, but I thought it might be a good idea to drop the doctor a brief email and just let him know exactly what Peter wanted to know so that when he met with the team at Thursday's meeting they could discuss everything and then hopefully come give Peter the answers he wanted. The doctor replied that he would see us Thursday.
So, we'll see if his white count does actually continue to go up and what Dr. Barlogie says on Thursday.
The decision in the end will be Peter's. I did ask Peter to please take everything (legal matters, problems at home, finances, me) out of the equation and make any decision on what he felt like he wanted out of his life and what he was willing to go through or not go through to have the quality of life and energy and activity level that he wants. Nothing else matters. I hope that he will be able to do that.
posted by BethPowell at 4:52 PM
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