Quiet Weekend
There hasn’t been much going on at our house since Tate’s last appointment. Greg and I continue to administer the at-home chemotherapy drugs, and Tate continues to feel worse. He has an appointment tomorrow morning just for blood work. It is possible he will need a platelet or hemoglobin transfusion.
The staff at the clinic warned us that almost all patients need to be hospitalized during the Delayed Intensification phase. Now Tate’s in it I can see why. The drugs are really bringing him down. I am doing my best to stay calm and not to indulge my instinct to panic even when nothing has happened. So far so good! I will admit to waking up every night to check on him though.
Greg had an issue giving Tate his ARA-C injection today. The syringes come from the pharmacy pre-filled; everything is already measured, and we just have to stick him. Today, the syringe was faulty. Greg inserted the needle into Tate’s arm, but the plunger wouldn’t move. Greg had no choice but to remove the needle. Eventually Greg got the syringe to work, but long story short, Tate got a smaller dose of ARA-C than he was prescribed. The infuriating thing is the nurses warned us that some of the parents were having trouble with the syringes lately. Greg and I both assumed it was operator error, partly because of how it presented it to us. Now that it happened to Tate I’m furious. Greg sent a message to Tate’s nurse, and we will find out if Tate needs to be given another dose of ARA-C or if they’re just going to consider it done. There will be a conversation about the quality coming out the pharmacy, too. Junk medical equipment is potentially life-threatening. I am so angry!
*To our loving family members that might share my outrage today, please do not interpret my sharing this story as encouragement to contact the clinic, write any letters, etc. Greg and I will handle it. You can be sure of it.
“Even a soul submerged in sleep is hard at work and helps make something of the world.”
― Heraclitus, Fragments
Tate will have a busy week. He has an appointments scheduled Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with potential to end up in the clinic Tuesday, too. I’ll post updates as we have them.
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Yes, I understand the tendency to panic. Stop and remind myself of Tate’s will to live and all the people who are praying for him. Lined up two more to pray for him at mass this evening. Terry Skladany told me she prays for him every day. Hugs, you are doing g great!
Stay the course.