ICS, Chemo, to PICU

After being up nights to administer antibiotics, it was nice to let the nurses pull the all-nighter while Brendan and I slept.  Sodium was checked every 4 hours.

 Room 4424.  The best room in the house.  It's out of the way, quiet, and has one of the best views.

 At 9 a.m., Brendan had his audiogram.

 We had to tote the pump and IV pole along.

 This morning Brendan was freezing.  They found a sheet for him to wrap up in.

 Good news.  No changes in his hearing.

 Back to ICS.

 Music therapy.

 Brendan kept reaching out to hold my hand.  One minute he was feeling good and laughing, the next he was tired and had a headache.  The sodium numbers kept bouncing around all day.  They went as high as 130 and as low as 126.

 Sitting in the sunshine was our favorite activity today.

 With sodium checks every 4 hours, they didn't want to risk infection by accessing his port so often, so they insisted on finger pokes.  This caused Brendan a great deal of stress throughout the day.

 With sodium up between 128 and 130, they proceeded with chemo.  First carboplatin for 1 hour, then VP-16 (Etopocide)  for 1 hour.  They are also concerned that he is not putting on weight.  So feeds are running day and night.

 Urine collection continued throughout the day so they can check cortisol levels.

 Brendan stayed distracted so he didn't stress about the finger pokes and blood draws.

 The 6:30 sodium check had his levels at 126.  The resident and the Nurse Practitioner went to PICU to discuss moving Brendan downstairs.  In the meantime, Brendan had a one-time temperature of 100.4 degrees.  That brought on blood cultures and talk of starting antibiotics.  I reminded them he was already on antibiotics.  Oh yeah.

 Time to move to PICU.

 Neither of us were very happy about having to move.  But we understand the preventative measures.

 PICU was a flurry of activity.

 Despite the noise, light, constant finger pokes, medicine dosing, and neurological checks, Brendan finally fell asleep.  He's been pretty uncomfortable with leg pain and increasingly bad headaches.

 His last sodium check was 125.  So they just started a 3% sodium solution.  (They can only administer 3% in PICU.)  I don't envy the phlebotomist who has to draw the next sodium sample.  Brendan already has 4 band-aids on 4 fingers, and doesn't want any more.

My "bed" tonight.  It reclines.  Just not sure there is room for both the nurse and I in this tiny room tonight :)

Brendan is done with carboplatin for this round of chemo.  He still has two doses of etopocide left.  We will see how his sodium levels do overnight.  They will be checked every two hours for now.  Brendan is sleeping peacefully now, and his color looks better.  I hope it is a good night despite the noise.

Helicopters keep coming in -- I've counted at least 5 today -- make that 6.  Brendan's nurse tonight was sprayed with the Septra that backed up in Brendan's feeding tube.  She had to go to the emergency department to get her eyes checked (protocol).  They are so busy down here they are calling for more nurses to come work tonight.  It's another busy night in PICU.