Yesterday morning, after two days of trying to get Ambrosia's NJ feeding tube unclogged, I called the clinic before we left for the hospital. I spoke with one of the nurses and told her about the situation. They were able to call ahead to the fluoro x-ray department who said they could fit us in before our other tests if we came right then. I finished getting us ready and left for the hospital. The fluoro team replaced her NJ tube and told me I need to start flushing it with water every 3-4 hours even though her feeds are ready to feed and not a powder that is mixed. It apparently can still clog!
After replacing her NJ tube, we had to head to the second floor for them to do her heart echo and EKG. That went fairly smoothly and we were off to our next appointment which was getting the GFR test for her kidney function. We had to sit in the waiting area for a few minutes while they got the test area ready for her. A lady came and sat next to me and asked how old Ambrosia was. I told her and she said her son had just turned 1 year old two days prior. She asked if it was okay to ask what the line in her nose was for. I explained it was for feeding her formula. She then asked if she had to have it because she won't eat. I then told her that Ambrosia had cancer and it was to keep her calorie intake up and from losing weight. She was, as most people are, shocked when I tell them Ambrosia has cancer. She said she would be praying for her. We exchanged a few more pleasantries and a short time later she apologized for getting emotional. I looked at her and realized she was crying. I told her it was okay and I had done my fair share of crying too. I imagine she was thinking of her little boy.
We were then called back to have the test done. I took a picture of her while she was in the machine. They put a contrast in her broviac line and the test takes 6 minutes. They have her bundled up in a bean bag type blanket they suck all the air out of to keep her stable and from falling off the table. She takes it pretty well and soon after I took her picture, she fell asleep.
After replacing her NJ tube, we had to head to the second floor for them to do her heart echo and EKG. That went fairly smoothly and we were off to our next appointment which was getting the GFR test for her kidney function. We had to sit in the waiting area for a few minutes while they got the test area ready for her. A lady came and sat next to me and asked how old Ambrosia was. I told her and she said her son had just turned 1 year old two days prior. She asked if it was okay to ask what the line in her nose was for. I explained it was for feeding her formula. She then asked if she had to have it because she won't eat. I then told her that Ambrosia had cancer and it was to keep her calorie intake up and from losing weight. She was, as most people are, shocked when I tell them Ambrosia has cancer. She said she would be praying for her. We exchanged a few more pleasantries and a short time later she apologized for getting emotional. I looked at her and realized she was crying. I told her it was okay and I had done my fair share of crying too. I imagine she was thinking of her little boy.
We were then called back to have the test done. I took a picture of her while she was in the machine. They put a contrast in her broviac line and the test takes 6 minutes. They have her bundled up in a bean bag type blanket they suck all the air out of to keep her stable and from falling off the table. She takes it pretty well and soon after I took her picture, she fell asleep.
The test was over and we were on our way back home. It was such a nice day out that after picking up my son from school I decided we should go to the park. While we were there, another mom came and sat on the bench next to me. She had a baby who was 7 months and she asked how old Ambrosia was. She then asked about her tube and I explained for the second time that day about Ambrosia's diagnosis. She too was shocked to hear it and said she would be praying for her.
This morning we headed to the clinic for them to do counts and see if they were good enough to be admitted. A little while after taking her blood the nurse came back and said they were having to do a manual count because the machine's count showed Ambrosia had dropped significantly since Wednesday. We sat and waited some more and soon the nurse came back to tell us what the final count was. Her ANC count had gone from 16,000+ on Wednesday all the way done to 876 today. That was a huge drop. Unfortunately because of the huge drop we could not be admitted for chemo today. The news was not something I was prepared to hear today. I was all packed and ready for us to be admitted. It caught me off guard enough that I shed a tear or two. The nurse said with the aggressive type of chemo she is getting now it's not unusual for this to happen. She also said it was a good sign that even though her numbers dropped it means that her body is responding to the chemo.
I have to give Ambrosia the neupogen shots tonight and tomorrow. Then on Monday we have to go back to the clinic for them to check her numbers again. If they are good enough to be admitted we will go in the hospital on Tuesday. The nurse said they already have 5 admits on Monday is the only reason they will hold us off until Tuesday. So everyone keep your fingers crossed that her counts are good on Monday. We need this chemo to wipe this nasty cancer out of her body! Don't forget to "like" our new Facebook page! It's Angels for Ambrosia.
This morning we headed to the clinic for them to do counts and see if they were good enough to be admitted. A little while after taking her blood the nurse came back and said they were having to do a manual count because the machine's count showed Ambrosia had dropped significantly since Wednesday. We sat and waited some more and soon the nurse came back to tell us what the final count was. Her ANC count had gone from 16,000+ on Wednesday all the way done to 876 today. That was a huge drop. Unfortunately because of the huge drop we could not be admitted for chemo today. The news was not something I was prepared to hear today. I was all packed and ready for us to be admitted. It caught me off guard enough that I shed a tear or two. The nurse said with the aggressive type of chemo she is getting now it's not unusual for this to happen. She also said it was a good sign that even though her numbers dropped it means that her body is responding to the chemo.
I have to give Ambrosia the neupogen shots tonight and tomorrow. Then on Monday we have to go back to the clinic for them to check her numbers again. If they are good enough to be admitted we will go in the hospital on Tuesday. The nurse said they already have 5 admits on Monday is the only reason they will hold us off until Tuesday. So everyone keep your fingers crossed that her counts are good on Monday. We need this chemo to wipe this nasty cancer out of her body! Don't forget to "like" our new Facebook page! It's Angels for Ambrosia.
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