The Last Time

It finally happened!  Today they hung the first bag for Averi's last round of chemotherapy!!!

I'm finally starting to let myself get excited.  I know we still have to be at the hospital for another month or so, but this is the last time.  It's the last time I have to haul my cart load of stuff into the room and unpack.  It's the last time we have to sit and wait patiently for Averi's blood counts to hover, drop, hover, drop, bottom out, and finally come back up.  It's the last time our family has to be separated so much.  It's the last time Averi has to be nauseous and puke simply because her body is being pumped full of poison.  This is the last time!!!

Today was the fastest we have ever gotten out of day hospital and into a room.  The doctor liked her blood counts from yesterday so the nurse didn't have to redraw them today and then wait for results.  The floor is also really full and they were trying to put someone else in our room so the nurse went ahead and moved us in before the chemo was even started. It was really nice.

My only complaint (coming from my "this is the last time and has to be perfect" thought) is that we are in the corner room, so we have to share an anteroom with the room next door.  It just makes me nervous because it's easier for other people's germs to get into Averi's room - especially when our neighbor has a sign on his door requiring everyone to wear gowns, masks, and gloves to enter.

After telling the doctors about Averi's little mishap with the poop getting under her central line caps, they decided to draw blood cultures just in case.  That way if Averi starts to get a fever, we already have something growing instead of having to wait 48 hours for the cultures to grow.  At least they didn't start her on antibiotics (normal protocol when they draw cultures) since it happened a few days ago and she isn't showing any signs of being sick.

Oh, and did I tell you?  This is the last time!!!