Day 3 and 4 Is Behind Us


Ashtyn is stable and enduring well. Each and every night I sleep at the hospital. Ashtyn and I both like it that way. The nurses give one medication or another at least every few hours both day and night. Ashtyn’s blood pressure and temperature is taken every four hours. Blood is drawn from her Broviac central line every morning at 4 a.m. for lab work. Generally Ashtyn and I sleep through the nursing care. We do wake up every couple of hours for her to go to the restroom. I sleep next to the nurse’s call light so when an IV pump alarm sounds I can quickly push the call light so the nurse can come in and do what needs to be done to quiet the alarm. Other than that, Ashtyn and I sleep quite well. At 8:45 a.m. the bone marrow transplant doctor and nurse practitioner come into the room to assess Ashtyn and give updates on the plan of care for the day. At 9:15 a.m. a loud voice comes out of the room intercom with the same announcement every morning, “The hospitality cart is in the hall. There is coffee, juice, and an assortment of pastries’s. This is for parents and guests only. We will be here for approximately five minutes.” It is then repeated in Spanish. I am normally too tired to go get anything. Ashtyn generally sleeps in until about 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.. With the blinds shut and a quiet room, I have learned the best thing for me to do is continue sleeping even with all the morning interruptions.

Once Ashtyn wakes up I give her a bed bath and wipe down her room with bleach wipes. Sheets are changed and laundry is done. Ashtyn does oral care and puts lotion on herself. After she is clean and comfortable, Ashtyn will normally spend the rest of the day watching movies and messing around on her phone. So far she has mild mucositis which requires a low dose of continuous morphine that infuses into her central line. She also is using the button on the PCA pump to give her added morphine doses. Her mouth and throat pain have stayed under control, however her foot pain seems to be excruciating.

Soaking her painful feet
Soaking her painful feet
Achy feet wrapped in cold rags
Achy feet wrapped in cold rags

Twice a day IV Cyclosporine is given over two hours. One of the side effects of this medication is hand and foot pain. During the two hour infusion and throughout the day her feet ache terribly. The only things that seems to lessen the ache is to either wrap her feet in cold wash cloths or soak her feet in a basin of luke warm water with added scented Foot Soothing salt. Ashtyn will continue to have achy feet until she is able to take Cyclosporine in pill form.

Day four Ashtyn got her first post transplant transfusion of platelets. Blood and platelet transfusions will be a common occurrence until engraftment.

Enjoying UNO with Morgan
Enjoying UNO with Morgan
Ethan
Ethan

For the past three days Ashtyn has felt well enough for Jason to come to the hospital to spend several hours with her while I leave to spend time with my other kids. It has been really good for her to have independence from me and to have that one on one time with her dad. It has been really good for me to be able to get outside each day and enjoy the warm sun with my kids.

Chandler is feeling good
Chandler is feeling good

Chandler has had a perfect recovery from his bone marrow donation. He went to a church BBQ ten hours after his donation surgery. In the last three days he has gone swimming at the local pools three times and went on an overnight camping trip. He is happy and thrilled about what he was able to do for Ashtyn. It has brought new confidence to him that I have wanted him to have for a long time. Chandler has a great sense of humor. If he is asked to do something he doesn’t want to do he’ll say, “I can’t do that, I just saved a life.”

When Ashtyn was getting settled to go to sleep last night she said, “The best part about the day is going to bed. Another day closer.”

We are another day closer to engraftment, another day closer to going home, and another day closer to putting this trial behind her. I am grateful for one more day of minimal side effects and no infections. I am grateful for another day of calm.

She is remarkably and noticeably being blessed.

Hanging with Wendy with a sucker that "tastes like water. That takes the fun out of eating a sucker."Day 3: My sister Wendy sat with Ashtyn for two hours. They had a very engaging conversation about scuba diving. Bonaire, here we come! One day.

“The sucker tastes like water. That takes the fun out of eating a sucker.” It was thrown away.

Movie night with Ethan and MorganDay 4: Movie night with Ethan and Morgan. We watched “Despicable Me.”

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5 responses to “Day 3 and 4 Is Behind Us”

  1. So relieved to hear everything is going relatively well. I was very worried about the mucositis post BMT because of the horrendous time Ashtyn had with it before. Love Ethan’s very protective hug!!
    Praying every day at least once for Ashtyn and your family.

  2. Love this update! Ashtyn, you look amazing! I am so happy to see you surrounded by your loving family. Sorry to hear of your foot pain – that sounds just miserable! It looks as though your feet are getting lots of TLC! I will pray for painless feet. Hang in there, sweetie! You are doing great. Sending much love & well wishes from calgary, canada!!

  3. I continue to pray for Ashtyn each night and will now start praying for her feet to get better. It will be an amazing day when Ashtyn can go home and never have to go back to the hospital again. I am sad that I won’t be going to the same school as Ashtyn when she comes back but she will always hold a special place in my heart. Love you Ashtyn!