Back in the Hospital!

Well, it is 2 in the morning...and we are sitting in a room in the E.R. There are no available rooms on the Hematology/Oncology floor, so here we sit. This is the same room we came to on our very first hospital visit. Oddly enough it feels familiar in a comforting sort of way. In those first couple of days we were surrounded by so much love from family and friends, and the grace of God took over in amazing ways.

Today (actually yesterday - Wednesday - it feels like today still) we went to the clinic for blood work and found that all of Ellie's counts were very low. (For those of you who might be interested in the actual numbers: Hemoglobin - 6.4; Platelets - 24; White Blood Cells - 0.1) They scheduled us to come in on Thursday (today) for red blood and platelet transfusions. As the day progressed, Ellie started a low-grade fever, and by evening it had gone over the 101 mark (our signal to go straight to the hospital). So here we are. Ellie just fell asleep after having blood drawn through her broviak, and through her arm, as well getting a chest x-ray. She has been started on antibiotics just in case it is a bacterial infection. From what I understand, it is almost unheard of NOT to come back between chemo cycles with a fever. I think that Ellie getting to stay home between the last two cycles was a miracle.

While I was typing the last paragraph, the nurse came in and told us that a room has come available on the Hem/Onc floor so we will be moving. That will be good. We keep seeing children wheeled by on stretchers, and who knows what kinds of germs are lurking in a children's E.R. - I don't want to think about it! We were just about to go looking for a cot, as I am sitting in the only chair in the room and John has taken to pacing...never mind, he just curled up on a corner of Ellie's bed - at her feet. If I yawn any harder I'm going to need a flip-top head and now my stomach is starting to growl. Too much information? Sorry...since there is no more room at the foot of Ellie's bed, I'm starting to get bored. I will let you know what tomorrow...er, today...brings as we know more.

And so for now, while we may not be getting much sleep, we are resting...in the loving grip of our Father. On nights like tonight it is so easy to picture Ellie curled up in a little ball, sleeping in the palm of God's hand.