Day 41: A Few Of My (Not) Favorite Things

Krista is not enjoying her time on the fourth floor. There's been some improvement in the management of her pain, though they still haven't got to the bottom of what is causing it just yet. She had a CT scan on her abdomen today to test for teflitis, but we haven't heard any results yet. She is scheduled for a two endoscopic procedures tomorrow to view her entire digestive tract for signs of GVHD and to take an internal biopsy of affected area(s).  While she's asleep for those procedures, they're also going to take a bone marrow biopsy to hopefully verify that she is in remission from leukemia. Did I mention the gastrologist (the one doing the endoscopic procedure tomorrow) did not do the most gentle examination today? Ouch, ouch, ouch!

So all of this is uncomfortable, not to mention her regular pain, but on top of all that she's been frustrated with the nurses also. Krista's voice has been pretty low, so it's hard to hear her, but the nurses don't seem to take the time to listen like the nurses on the 5th and 6th floors did. (The 4th floor is the "surgical recovery" floor, so they're not used to going out of their way to be extra caring?) They just come in and administer what they have without checking in with her. Krista always likes to keep on top of what she's being given because the nurses don't always know what works best for her. (For example they are constantly offering her zofran for nausea, even though we keep reminding them that zofran gives her headaches.) She has a request to move upstairs, but so far there hasn't been an opening. Please, Lord, grant her some comfort in her suffering!

[Jesus Speaking] "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"
(Matthew 7:7-11)