Road Bumps

      Monday we were discharged from the hospital, and we were all so happy to finally be home!  Hazel was so glad to see her siblings, drink from her own cup, eat her own food and sleep in her own bed!  On Tuesday, I was on the phone constantly with insurance companies, pharmacies, the hospital, and the like, just trying to figure out the logistics of the coming months.  We also met our in home care nurse who will be coming to us twice a week to draw Hazel's blood and change the dressings on her PICC line, which will save us from driving down to the hospital to do it; so praise God for that!  But we've hit a couple of road bumps, and I get the feeling that this is what the next couple of years are going to be like.  No planning and a lot of "flying by the seat of our pants!" 
     First, poor little Hazelnut has developed a terrible rash all over her back, bottom and scalp.  We have tried everything to relieve it, but she is absolutely miserable.  The doctor suspects that she is having a reaction to one of the medications that she is on, so we are going to try something different to see if that helps.  Second, after having a follow-up appointment with her oncologist her at the hospital this morning, Hazel needed a blood transfusion due to her counts being extremely low (this is very routine, and is why donating blood is a big help).  While with the doctor, her vitals looked great, but in the 5 minutes it took to walk from the doctors to the Infusion Center, Hazel spiked a fever and her blood pressure went through the roof.  Fever=admission to the hospital.  So here we sit (Hazel and I), back in the same room on the 4th floor, trying to relieve her rash and fever, and waiting for her blood culture results to tell us if she has an infection.  This will take at least 48 hours...
     Please pray for God to give all of us the ability and stamina to adjust to the craziness that is becoming our new normal.  And please continue to pray for Hazel to stay in good health throughout her treatment, so that she can have the strength to really fight this thing!

ISAIAH 41:10- "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am you God.  I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."  May these word resonate within all of us...