Jinxed It

Yesterday Scott and I were looking at Tate’s calendar, and we realized he only had 5 appointments spread across two weeks until the end of Delayed Intensification. We were so happy we hugged it out in the hallway. I texted my sister and mom, finally confident I could give them a date the Maintenance phase would begin. A little part of me was screaming to be happy and relieved Tate was nearly out of danger, but the wary, wiser, exhausted parts of me fell asleep crying on his bedroom floor.

This morning Tate was scheduled to get a hemoglobin transfusion and Erwinia shots. The nurses asked us to arrive early because hemoglobin transfusions take several hours. Tate was not in good shape when when he woke up; his headache was worse, and he was weak and cold. He cranked up the heat in the car to 90 degrees but still couldn’t get warm. When we got to the clinic his blood pressure was very low, and he spiked a fever. The doctor cut his appointment short and sent him to the hospital in an ambulance.

Tate is in room 7141 of Phoenix Children’s Hospital. The doctor on the floor anticipates Tate will need to stay for four days. Tate’s ANC is zero, and it has to be more than 200 before he can be released. He also has to go 48 hours without a fever. We are asking for no visitors until his immune system regenerates a little bit. He just hasn’t been able to rebound from the bad stuff like he normally does. Also, this room has no telephone! If you try to call the room we literally cannot answer.

Since arriving at the hospital, Tate has gotten two units of hemoglobin and a steady stream of fluids and antibiotics. Once his fever is more under control he will also get a unit of platelets. The Erwinia shots he was supposed to get today have been postponed until tomorrow.

Tate has been asleep since the early afternoon. It seems like he fights and fights and fights at home, and when he lands in the hospital he knows he is beaten and surrenders to sleep and allows people to care for him.

We will post an update tomorrow. Please feel free to text us if you have any questions. We will answer as we are able.