Colleen got blood and platelets yesterday
Colleen got blood and platelets yesterday, but her platelets were still low this morning, so more platelets today. She also has bruising all over her legs, I'm told this is very common, especially when platelets are so low. When the tech came to draw her blood this morning, she forgot to clamp the tube, and blood flooded her broviac tubing past where the tech was drawing, not only wasting the blood she had already drawn, but then making the "waste" blood unable to be returned to Colleen. I asked for the NURSE. Because Colleen can only have so much blood drawn each day maximum, the nurse or tech uses a special double syringe that has a "stop" on it, draws the first blood which can't be used in the lab, then they draw the second tube for the lab, and switch the stop back to return the first "blood draw" back into Colleen. This way they minimize how many "teaspoons" of blood they take from her. So, today she got THREE draws off of her instead of only giving ONE, and got zero waste returned.
Today's numbers for anyone that knows what they mean: White Blood Cells - 0.3 (6.0 to 15.0 normal range); Hemoglobin - 12.5 (11.0 - 14.0 Normal, but 7.0 to 8.0 normal for her with sickle cell disease, so the transfusion of Friday has helped); Platelet Count - 38 (150-450 Normal, below 50 she gets platelets, yesterday's platelets apparently didn't help enough).
Her blood pressure has been running high all morning too. And our typical COOPERATIVE patient, has been anything BUT cooperative. She refused to take her oral medicine today, and after an hour past dose time it was necessary for Mom and nurse Heidi to INSIST. After the first med, she was more agreeable to the second and third doses. But she fought her temp and blood pressure this morning. She just isn't "herself" today. She's entitled, as she has been so very BRAVE and COMPLIANT throughout her three and one half years, she can have an "off" day. She got a tiny dose of Morphine at 11:30 AM, and blood pressure medicine has been ordered.
On the HAPPY side of the morning, Colleen ate almost her entire French Toast for breakfast! Plus some chocolate milk. YIPPEE! She doesn't want to cuddle, but did let me read some to her this morning while she sat in her bed. Her skin is dry, and putting lotion on her is a battle, she just does NOT want to be touched at all. She doesn't feel well, and that is to be expected, although she has smiled many times this morning. She is quite a flirt with the housekeeping staff that comes each morning and evening to empty the trash and sweep and mop the floors. She will smile for them and play "hide & seek" with them. She is a doll, that's for sure. She noticed also that she has "Baby Hair" on her head. Just some "peach fuzz" left, and it is beautiful.
Susan
Today's numbers for anyone that knows what they mean: White Blood Cells - 0.3 (6.0 to 15.0 normal range); Hemoglobin - 12.5 (11.0 - 14.0 Normal, but 7.0 to 8.0 normal for her with sickle cell disease, so the transfusion of Friday has helped); Platelet Count - 38 (150-450 Normal, below 50 she gets platelets, yesterday's platelets apparently didn't help enough).
Her blood pressure has been running high all morning too. And our typical COOPERATIVE patient, has been anything BUT cooperative. She refused to take her oral medicine today, and after an hour past dose time it was necessary for Mom and nurse Heidi to INSIST. After the first med, she was more agreeable to the second and third doses. But she fought her temp and blood pressure this morning. She just isn't "herself" today. She's entitled, as she has been so very BRAVE and COMPLIANT throughout her three and one half years, she can have an "off" day. She got a tiny dose of Morphine at 11:30 AM, and blood pressure medicine has been ordered.
On the HAPPY side of the morning, Colleen ate almost her entire French Toast for breakfast! Plus some chocolate milk. YIPPEE! She doesn't want to cuddle, but did let me read some to her this morning while she sat in her bed. Her skin is dry, and putting lotion on her is a battle, she just does NOT want to be touched at all. She doesn't feel well, and that is to be expected, although she has smiled many times this morning. She is quite a flirt with the housekeeping staff that comes each morning and evening to empty the trash and sweep and mop the floors. She will smile for them and play "hide & seek" with them. She is a doll, that's for sure. She noticed also that she has "Baby Hair" on her head. Just some "peach fuzz" left, and it is beautiful.
Susan
posted by MarkAndSusan at 8:49 AM
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