A poor couple of days - that finished more positively

Roz had a very poor day yesterday, overnight and today
She had bad vomiting over night and had to come back into Derriford very early. She also had sickness, high temperature (39C) ,probable chest and stomach infection + the CMV virus, pains in the tummy. 
She was too ill to have the extra blood transfusion, and had extra anti viral / antibiotics instead. We were all a bit worried about her.

Barbara and I took it in turns to be with her from7:30 am until 9:30 pm. She was a lot better for the last hour or so - walking about a bit, and had some food for the first time in the day.

Using a clip thing on your finger they can monitor your pulse and the bit I did not know, they can also monitor how much oxygen you have in your blood. Anything over 95 is fine. She went down to 80 in the evening, so was put on a low level of oxygen via her nose - which seemed to help by the time I left. 

By midnight her temperature was back to normal and she felt very much better.  However, we learnt that the oxygen level in her blood had gone down very low-  so she was put on the highest rate of oxygen  they could via a mask over night. She found this claustrophobic and scary, so did not sleep very well. The doctors were not sure what had caused this low oxygen level when all other signs were OK. We thought it was partly the fact she was overdue a blood transfusion so did not have enough red cells to carry the oxygen, and she had had this infection in her lungs.

Today she was gradually eased off the oxygen, but felt sick, had diarrhoea , pains in the gut - but her temperature is OK still. So the gave her the blood she had been going to get yesterday, plus magnesium, potassium, two antibiotics via the Hickman line , and of course loads of pills, mouth washes etc.

During the afternoon, Barbara went for root canal treatment at the dentist, following a week of antibiotics to cut back mouth ulcers etc. She came back into the ward, and promptly felt faint. Instead of just falling on the floor - her first aid training told her to lie the patient done, in this case she was the patient. So she lay in a feint on the floor in the corridor out side Roz's isolation ward. Doctors and nurses scurried around, took her 'Ops', got her int o a bed, cups of tea, sugary things to eta etc. Roz meanwhile had gone for multiple X-rays. I took Barbara home 40 minutes later and put her to bed before Roz got back from the X-rays. 

After a quick meal, I then went back into Derriford to look after Roz again. Roz enjoyed repeat heavy duty antibiotics, and two more blood transfusions - around 12 hours hooked up for the day. Just before I came home another Doctor came in and told Roz that the X-rays showed a small blood clot on her lungs, which is caused by all the lying down. So ten minutes later she had a subcutaneous injection of something like warfarin to dissolve away the clot - it feels like being stung in your tummy by a bee when you get the injection.

She feels a lot better now - no temperature, oxygen levels OK, no headaches, pain in stomach gone etc. She had a bit to eat and drink, chatted and lot and when I left her was cheerful even though she still had 4 hours on the drip to go. 
To end the day we Roz got a lovely bouquet of (virtual) flowers from Lois in San Francisco

Dear Roz,

Sorry to hear that you've been having a rough time these last  few days. Barfing (slang for vomiting - do you use that term?) is one of my least favorite activities. Interesting bit about different O2 saturation readings on your fingers and toes! Being hospitalized is no fun.  I hope your doctors have got it all under control now and you can go home soon.

Here's a little bouquet for you, from my garden: mint, parsley flowers, African blue basil flowers, and jasmine buds. (Richard/Barbara, please show this to Roz if she is  not online herself.)

Best wishes,

Lois

Real flowers are not, of course, allowed