Plenty O’ Platelets
Hayden was at 60k for his platelet count as of last Wednesday, by Saturday he was down to 36k so we knew by Monday he would be needing more platelets. We went to UW day-treatment center for 12:30 Monday, St. Patrick’s Day, good thing because Hayden was at 19k for platelets and his eczema was very bad. For once, this visit was somewhat relaxing, no needle pokes and no crying from the butterfly needles moving around in his veins trying to thread. We hooked Hayden’s catheter up for the Benedryl, and then for platelets, we were done in no time, without the painful crying and bruising Hayden usually went through.
The nurses now fight over who gets to care for Hayden since they don’t have to poke him anymore.
Today Hayden’s skin (eczema) looks and feels better. For a normal person, having eczema is not a huge deal, but for a person with an very low immune system, scratching can cause open cuts, which can get infected, and infection for Hayden is very serious as is fever and viruses. Hayden usually feels a little achy a day or two after this proceedure, but seems to be doing well with no side effects. So so far so good with his St. Patty’s Day platelet treatment!
With Hayden’s Hickman catheter, we have to maintain it. At first Home Health was coming to help flush the tubing and change the dressing, now we are confident enough to do this ourselves. Of course we need two people for this proceedure, one to hold Hayden’s hands away from the sterile area and the other to be sterile and change the durapatch, flush the tubing and change the safe-sight valves. All terminology I thought I would never use. Home Health is now going to Hayden’s daycare to monitor his Hickman and draw his lab bloodwork on a as-needed basis, which saves me a trip to the labs.
The goal for the week; no visits to UW and Dean for the rest of the week!
Hayden’s next transfusion should be 7 days from now, give or take. We will check his plateletes as usual on Friday to ensure he will be safe for the weekend!