Day 40: Who Done It

We unexpectedly hit the road again today, taking Krista back to the City of Hope to visit the emergency clinic. The nausea got particularly bad and I was getting concerned since she hadn't been able to take her pills for 24 hours. We called the triage nurse and she suggested trying an anti-nausea dose to see if that would make it possible to take the other pills. I thought it was working and tried to get her to take some pills about a half-hour after taking the anti-nausea, but she just couldn't even try to get them in her mouth. Another half-hour later she had dry heaves.

Since the anti-nausea didn't work, the next step was to get her into the car and off to the emergency clinic. As I was getting stuff ready, she began to have diarrhea symptoms in addition to the nausea. I gave her a dose of immodium, cleaned her up and helped her dress, and finally into the car. On the car ride down, she threw up the immoduim. Fortunately, we had something to catch it in, and there were no other incidents on the ride.

They x-rayed her abdomen and saw that there was an area of her intestines that is enlarged. This indicates an infection of some kind. It's probably not the virus that brought her in last week, but rather one of the many intestinal bacteria that are normal but can get out of control when the immune system is down. The pain she has been experiencing today reminded me of when she had teflitis during her first leukemia treatment. The nurse here says that they are also testing for another kind of intestinal bacteria called C. diff. Both sound like they have similar symptoms, so it's probably up to the lab work to differentiate. Antibiotics are the solution but there are specific ones that can target the particular problem individually.  Either way, it's an extremely painful time that is very frustrating and scary for Krista.  Lord, help quickly!

Hear my prayer, Lord;
let my cry for help come to you.
Do not hide your face from me
when I am in distress.
Turn your ear to me;
when I call, answer me quickly.
For my days vanish like smoke;
my bones burn like glowing embers.
My heart is blighted and withered like grass;
I forget to eat my food.
(Psalm 102:1-4)