Longest Monday ever

We are back into the swing of doctors visits. And today made up for missing last weeks visit (lengthwise). We had a cardiologist appointment this morning at 10. I assumed (wrongly) that it was in Hershey. When I got out my directions and started reading I realized it was in Harrisburgh. Thankfully we left early so we could meet up with Cynthia. It took almost 50 min to get there. The appointment went well. They said that the chambers of Alivia's heart are slightly enlarged from working so hard. But they think its because she is anemic and needs more red blood cells.

Well yesterday I started to notice that Alivia had some peticia (small red spots). These are caused by low platelettes.So this morning before we left I called to see if we could stop in and get the CBC done today just in case she needed a transfusion. Then they could do it today and not delay the bone marrow biopsy tomorrow. Well we got there around 11:45 and got her blood drawn/port accessed. We (Livi, Cynthia and I) then went and had lunch. Livi's CBC was ready when we got back. Her WBC's were down (woo hoo) to 44, her platelettes were 14 (normal is between 140 and 340), and her hemaglobin (red cell related number) was only 6 (normal is 11-14). So after much discussion and seeing a resident and a doc (not our doc) they decided to just give her platelettes since that was what she was showing signs of needing (patecia). So we got situated and waited a long time for the platelettes to arrive from the blood bank. It was around 2:45 when the finally got her all set up. She feel asleep right before the transfusion started and we went intot the transfusion room (unfortunetly not the single, small room). One of the other kids in the room was pretty upset and throwing puzzle peices around and crying. Well that woke up Alivia. But she did an amazing job. Or IV machine started to beep pretty soon after we started (usually means we're done), the nurse came in to check and realized they had run the saline and not the platelettes through so it was as if we hadn't even started the trasfusion. But thankfully by this time the quiet, single room was empty so we moved over there to finish up. And we got to watch Livi's favorite video (Sing Yourself Silly) twice! She did so amazing today. She didn't cry when the cardiologist looked at her, when she had and EKG and Echocardiogram, or when they accessed her port. She did so great and I was so proud of her. She is getting to be such a big girl and so tolerant of all the poking and proding.

Tomorrow we have to be back at the clinic at 9am to get her CBC again and her port accessed (we never come home with it accessed since she wont' sleep if its in). And then we are scheduled for surgery around 11. So tomorrow will be another long day. But my parents and Cynthia will be there to help distract her...and me. Pray that she doesn't have a bad reaction to the anesthia like last time. That is my biggest concern for tomorrow...and that she isn't too scared and that it doesn't hurt too much....and...that there's a miracle and she gets all well!!

THis is Livi watching her video while she gets her transfusion. She loves that video!!



Thanks to..
...Jamie for dinner. We were driving home and we passed a stand and I thought...wish I had some corn on the cob. But Livi was asleep and I couldn't stop cause she would wake up and I got home and there was CORN!!! Thanks friend. It was the perfect dinner for today!
...Cynthia for putting aside her day and spending it with us at the hospital.
Thanks to Brenda Plank, Amanda Sanner, Keira Miinich, Sarah Sensenig, Jennifer Williams, Becca SMith, Nicole Baker, Cori Bitterman, Rosalyn Wenger, Rhonda Wenger, Elaine Jaenke for the cards and Gift certificate for to the spa. Can't wait to use it.