Bad day...good ending

This face pretty much sums up our day. It was a long, hard day. Alivia and I got to the hospital around 10:30 got the blood draw done and went for a walk. ON the way back Cynthia walked around the corner to meet us (Thank GOD!!) which I wasn't expecting...thanks for being our friendly face today Cynthia. We walked together to the clinic and got her numbers...which weren't good. The reds were down to 7.7 so we had to have a transfusion. And the WBC's were up to 154. Not good. We ended up seeing another doctor (not ours since he wasn't in clinic today). Alivia didn't even fuss (maybe cause the doc is a female and thus not scary in Alivia's mind). Then we had lunch while we waited for the blood to get there for the transfusion. In talking to people throughout the day I got the impression that everyone assumes we are having a transplant after we go to Hopkins. That was a hard thing to realize. I had a good cry in the hall on the way to lunch. I was much more tired today than I have been in a while. I felt like I was ready to cry almost all day. The blood got there (finally) and the got her all hooked up but she kept playing with the port and ended up pulling it out. Of course there was blood all over (from the IV bag...but still really scary looking). So she had to be re-accessed. They sprayed stuff on that "freezes" the area (numbs it). Livi hated it and was freaking out and I had to hold her down. It was horrible. I just held her little arms and cried along with her. After all that we got going again and she feel asleep for a bit. But throughout the transfusion they have to check her blood preassure often and when they did she woke up and started screaming like she was being tortured. It was so sad. We finally got out of there and got home around 4:45. I had a good long cry on the way home (thanks for listening Rach...love you).

Now for the good ending. We got home and Erin had just gotten home also and she had been to Target to get presents for the treasure box and shortly after Dan and Julie Garner stopped by with bag after bag of toys that their friends had donated. So I've decided that I won't wait till November to take them in but instead take a few bags each time I go. Believe me it is much needed. There still isn't anything but pink plastic horses in there. For the second time in a row Livi didn't even want a toy. I can't wait to see the kids faces when the open the chest and its filled with all the toys people are donating. AMAZING. Here's a shot of the toys I will be taking with my this Thursday. Can you believe how many there are already?



Thanks for today....
Dan and Julie Garner for getting the word out to more people about the toys.
Toys for the kids from....Erin Wallwork, Neysa and Nathan Thomas, Deb Gilmore, Tania Flaiz, Brenda Spackman, and Faye Holbein, her son and Mother-in-law

Cards from Mary Ann Kisic (and stickers), Beth Altrogge and Marmie

And a great dinner from the Minichs and from the Olivers.