Twice in as many weeks

Everything's OK now, but I'm on a first-name basis with too many emergency room nurses down at Baptist Hospital.

Mom had Rituxin and Fluderabine last Monday, followed by Fluderabine Tuesday-Friday. Dr. S. expected her to react to the Rituxin on Monday, so she preceeded it with a drip of Benadryl and Decadron. Sure, Mom had a few hives Monday afternoon, but another dose of Benadryl fixed her right up.

Mom had an OK day Saturday. She didn't feel like going to work, and she didn't have much of an appetite, but it was expected from the chemo this past week. Saturday night she developed a few hives too.

By Sunday around lunch, Mom itched all over. Around 5:30, she finally let me take her in due to trouble breathing. I'll spare you the rest of the details. They admitted her to the hospital; she was in a room by 10 PM. I'd like to think I'm good in a situation like that, but when it's your mom, that's a scary thing.

Right now she's sleeping soundly on Ativan, Atarax, and Solu-Medrol. Through the night, the Benadryl just wasn't working, and by noon today Mom wanted to cut off her feet so she could scratch them better. Dr. S. decided to bump it up and knock her out. Now the hives look much, much better, and her normal color is coming back.

I'm hoping we'll get out of here soon, but we've received no word from Dr. S yet. Sure, she LOOKS much better, and she's getting to sleep, but I'm a little worried about what she'll do when the antihistamines and steroids wear off.

The doctors and nurses here at Baptist are lovely people. A nurse in the ER caught my eye on my way to the bathroom to ask how Mike's ear was. We were in the ER two Tuesdays ago with his very infected ear, and I was suprised that she remembered me. If you can make it to Baptist, I highly recommend it.