Update

Colleen went to BMT clinic today. She is doing much better. Her steroids were decreased last Friday at GI clinic, and she stopped one antibiotic yesterday. Hopefully that will END the diarrhea once and for all. The steroids have made her VERY moody. And by VERY, I mean VERY VERY. Laughing one moment, tears streaming the next. Up and down. She got the new port placed last Tuesday, and is healing well. Next week she can have it accessed for her blood draws, the tech only had to poke her arm once today. She started "loosing it" by the third tube, but they got the "expert" tech with her today, that knew how to get enough into the third tube with minor positioning and she didn't need a second jab as she needed the last two clinic visits. She is on a limited dairy diet, due to her intestine damage and inability to handle the lactose, but the GI doctor had me get her LACTAID chewable tablets and she can now drink milk again. YEAH! Thank you so much to everyone for your prayers.

Colleen was discharged Sunday. She had BMT Clinic on Monday. Thank you for your prayers. Colleen's surgery went well, about 1 PM Tuesday. Her new port is placed centrally because of the scar tissue both right and left from the previous port and broviac. She returns to BMT clinic tomorrow and sees the GI doctor in Clinic on Friday morning. Her diarrhea continues to be a problem for her, and now she is not seeming to have enough urination. Doctors are puzzled, her belly is bloated, but the x-rays are all normal, and her blood work is all ok. Her moods are very bad, but it could be the steroids making her irritable and bloated. However, she is eating very well and has a excellent appetite. Please continue to pray for Colleen. Thank you very much.

No Discharge

Saturday morning found Colleen with low grade fevers, no bright eyes, zero energy, and she went for ELEVEN hours between wet diapers (6 am to 5 PM). She is eating and drinking very well, but aparently her little body is using almost everything she is taking in, so nothing was getting diverted to the bladder. Obviously, she was not discharged. She did beat the clock, however, because if she went TWELVE hours without urination, she would have another IV started. So, we wait and see.

Update

Colleen got a hospital germ last Sunday and shecame down with 104 degree fevers. The germ was isolated and found tobe STAPH, and unfortunately her port had gotten infected. Theantibiotics worked for her blood, but the port remained infected, andyesterday her doctor decided to take out the port because all of herblood cultures were suddenly turning positive. This was a very suddendecision, and at 7 PM Thursday night she was in the OR and at 7:40 theprocedure was done with her port removed. They were able to start anIV on her left hand while she was under general ansthesia, and as Ipredicted, it didn't last long. At 2:30 AM the IV team had to take herto the procedure room and try very hard to get another IV started. At2 PM she lost the second IV. The decision was made to discharge hertomorrow on all oral medication, and see her in clinic Monday. Surgeryis scheduled for Tuesday as long as all her labs stay negative.However, her hemaglobin was down today to 8.6. As long as it doesn'tdrop on Saturday, she can come home because she is eating and drinkingpretty well. A decision regarding the IV nutrition will be made atClinic. I think it is going to be a very long weekend.