Kicked Out

Yes, it is true; I was evicted from the hospital yesterday evening. My day Friday began around 9am at the hospital to get my blood checked in clinic. My platelets were at 51,000 which just barely met the minimum 50,000 mark. I was examined by the NP and a doctor filling in for Moskowitz since he was off site at a meeting. I was sent over to admitting where I got screened again (EKG, vitals, etc). The nurse started my IV then it was up to my room around 1 pm to wait for my turn with the radiology interventionists to install my catheter. While I was waiting I met my two nurses, went for a chest x-ray, and got settled into my room. I was admitted onto the transplant floor which has very strict infection precautions. The staff and room were both AWESOME. I will have to write more on that when I am actually in the hospital again.

So radiology was backed up and I was just sitting around. I had my chemo pre-meds started – a steroid, anti-nausea stuff, and fluids. Then around 5:30 pm, the doctor who is in charge of the floor comes into my room (with a gaggle of staff in tow). He starts checking me out and then begins to ask about Chris’ flu. Mom, being a nurse, knew this was a bad sign, but I was oblivious and happily described our past week at home with Chris being sick and me not coming down with it. Then the doctor said I could not have chemo since I had been around a documented case of flu the day before and it was just too risky. I was upset, frustrated, mad, etc….. You think they could have made this decision a LITTLE bit earlier in the day. But you just can’t argue with someone who is trying to make sure you survive getting blasted with chemo. And it was a blessing that the radiologists were backed up since I never got my catheter installed.

So we were bounced out onto the street (actually went back to the hotel) and will try again Monday to start chemo- assuming I don’t develop flu symptoms and my nasal swabs come back negative. I came back and called Brant in tears. He didn’t miss a beat in reminding me it is only a few extra days and I just needed to “roll with it”. He also pointed out that we have had faith all along that my treatment path would turn out as was best for me, so why now question the reason for this latest twist and turn??

Later that night I was thinking about the Bible passage I have been reading in my attempt to read the Bible in one year (New Years Resolution). It is when the Israelites are fleeing Egypt where they had been slaves. God is guiding their escape route by a pillar of cloud in the day and a pillar of fire at night for light. As they approach the Red Sea they can see the Egyptians with their best chariots pursuing them rapidly. So God moves the cloud to behind the Israelites to create a buffer between them and the Egyptians. Now if I were there, I would probably have been near the front of the line and saying “Great, now what!!?? We’ve got this big sea in front of us and our guide took off!!” Luckily I have Brant to turn me around and see the bigger picture. Sometimes God is there to lead us, sometimes he drops back to protect us. But he never leaves us.

Have a great weekend, we will be watching ACC basketball, taking walks around New York, and dutifully avoiding any germs!!