Day 30: Not Working

Krista is doing great with her recovery. She was able to do the full set of exercises that the physical therapist gave her to do for the first time today. That's the good news... the bad news is the hotel. It's a nice hotel for healthy people, but it's just not working for Krista. The doctors gave her some pretty strict requirements:

1) All food has to be cooked and it can't be from a restaurant. The problem is that there's only a 2-burner stove top in the hotel room, and that only works some of the time.

2) Sterilize dishes and pots and pans. The hotel doesn't have a dishwasher.

3) Use a towel only once. The hotel only provides room service once a week. That is way too long to go with the set of towels she has.

4) Live in fairly sterilized conditions. The hotel is very dog friendly; there are dogs in every room around her. That means there were probably dogs in her room. There's partial carpet in her room which probably hasn't been sterilized.

So since the Village isn't available and this was the best choice in the area, Krista and my mother agreed that Krista would be better off back home for now. I agree. We're going to try it out, for the weekend at least, since her oncologist has already said that weekends away was OK.

The main thing they are cautious about is infection. They want to have her get to the City Of Hope hospital as soon as possible if any sign of infection shows up. We've dealt with infections before at Cottage, so that shouldn't be a problem. The doctors always think of the worst case, which would be if something got complicated they would have to transport her between hospitals and that gets complicated. It seems more likely that she would get an infection in that hotel than at home anyway, with they way we've quarantined her bedroom and bathroom.

The other thing the doctors get concerned about is falling. With Krista's mobility being as good as it is, that risk is really reduced. The only danger left would be if she were to experience a blood pressure drop. Her blood pressure has been quite stable, so again that's not a concern. (Besides we have a blood pressure monitor at home that she doesn't have access to at the hotel.)

So tomorrow I will be cleaning instead of driving. My mother will just drive Krista up after her appointments since mom was coming up anyway. That sounds better to me anyway. Cleaning won't be too hard since MasterCare was already scheduled to come and do a house claning. I just have to make sure it's all picked up for them, and do some of the extra sanitizing that makes it extra safe for the immune suppressed.

The Lord is gracious and righteous;
our God is full of compassion.
The Lord protects the unwary;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
Return to your rest, my soul,
for the Lord has been good to you.
(Psalm 116:5-7)