The new protocol started today (delayed intensification) and it didn't get off to a good start as Celia had a bad reaction to the general anaesthetic; she woke up kicking, screaming and writhing about like a wild animal. After about 30 seconds we noticed she hadn't actually opened her eyes so they said it was an anaesthetic tantrum so quickly knocked her out again. When she came round the second time she was groggy but acting normal, however I was a bit shaken.
She then threw a fit when I told her she had to go for her second flu jab. I had assumed that because finger pricks and blood tests were now a walk in the park all injections would be fine but not so. She vividly remembered the first round a few weeks ago and she was hysterical. The play therapist tried to calm her down but as soon as we approached the corridor she was howling the place down and in a horrible case of deja vu, it took me and two nurses to hold her down . Why she can't be given the flu jab while she is under general anaesthetic confounds me!
Once she had calmed down from the flu jab it was time for her chemotherapy which is administered through her port, and the hysterics started again. Not surprisingly she fell asleep in the car on the way home as she was totally exhausted.
On the whole she has been coping with her treatment amazingly well and she is still bubbly Celia 90% of the time but there are glimpses every now and then that this whole thing is taking its toll. There appears to be a new phobia every other week for example; lawn mowers, the wind and lifts to name but a few. She also mentioned her hair a few times this week and said that she wanted hair for her birthday. As it is in 5 weeks I told her that wasn't possible and I also broke it to her that she wouldn't be having a party as her birthday is towards the end of this phase and we have been warned to expect a decline over the next 8 weeks. Instead we will have a mega celebration when she is five and a half (she is slowly coming round to the idea!)
Outside of hospital, it has been birthday season with a party last Sunday, this Saturday and yesterday. Saturday's party was a Pirate BBQ so I visited the fantastic Bayside toy library and got the perfect costume for Max. He took a bit of persuading as normally Max will only dress up in dresses (tutus and pink polyester nighties are his favourite as you can see) but once he had the outfit on he was transformed into the meanest pirate in the southern hemisphere!
Normality of sorts has resumed over the past 2 weeks - Celia attended kinder for a few hours, we made it to Monday playgroup 2 weeks in a row and Max started swim lessons on a Saturday which he loves. And Reece, the Wednesday nanny, continues to be my life saver (well, maybe 'life saver' is an exaggeration but sanity saver is not!)
She then threw a fit when I told her she had to go for her second flu jab. I had assumed that because finger pricks and blood tests were now a walk in the park all injections would be fine but not so. She vividly remembered the first round a few weeks ago and she was hysterical. The play therapist tried to calm her down but as soon as we approached the corridor she was howling the place down and in a horrible case of deja vu, it took me and two nurses to hold her down . Why she can't be given the flu jab while she is under general anaesthetic confounds me!
Once she had calmed down from the flu jab it was time for her chemotherapy which is administered through her port, and the hysterics started again. Not surprisingly she fell asleep in the car on the way home as she was totally exhausted.
On the whole she has been coping with her treatment amazingly well and she is still bubbly Celia 90% of the time but there are glimpses every now and then that this whole thing is taking its toll. There appears to be a new phobia every other week for example; lawn mowers, the wind and lifts to name but a few. She also mentioned her hair a few times this week and said that she wanted hair for her birthday. As it is in 5 weeks I told her that wasn't possible and I also broke it to her that she wouldn't be having a party as her birthday is towards the end of this phase and we have been warned to expect a decline over the next 8 weeks. Instead we will have a mega celebration when she is five and a half (she is slowly coming round to the idea!)
 |
Max taking his role as a pirate very seriously
Max's favourite dress up at playgroup
|
Outside of hospital, it has been birthday season with a party last Sunday, this Saturday and yesterday. Saturday's party was a Pirate BBQ so I visited the fantastic Bayside toy library and got the perfect costume for Max. He took a bit of persuading as normally Max will only dress up in dresses (tutus and pink polyester nighties are his favourite as you can see) but once he had the outfit on he was transformed into the meanest pirate in the southern hemisphere!
Normality of sorts has resumed over the past 2 weeks - Celia attended kinder for a few hours, we made it to Monday playgroup 2 weeks in a row and Max started swim lessons on a Saturday which he loves. And Reece, the Wednesday nanny, continues to be my life saver (well, maybe 'life saver' is an exaggeration but sanity saver is not!)
No comments:
Post a Comment