Saturday, July 2, 2011

On the 2nd Day of Chemotherapy

those meds gave to me...headache, fever, nausea/vomiting, stomach and body aches, mouth sores, throat irritation and there was no partridge in a pear tree. Yesterday was a good day, but the wee hours of this morning were rough. It was really unsettling to watch Mireya experiencing so much pain and discomfort. I did what I could to console and comfort her. The remainder of my energy was spent praying for relief from the symptoms and for rest.

We were aware of the variety of effects the medication 'could' have, but really didn't imagine we'd experience just about all of them on Day 2. It's amazing how the medication affects people differently. Some kids have none of these issues and others maybe just a few. The chemo coupled with ATG has been quite intense to Mireya's little system. The response to the meds made it necessary to dial back the speed in which she was receiving them and that made a big difference. We've been using a few household favorites in our arsenal to counteract these symptoms (Tylenol, hydrocortisone and Benadryl). My girl was hollering at 3am that she needed Tylenol. If pain becomes a major issue, they plan to give her a morphin drip to help alleviate her discomfort.

Once the medications were complete, she began to feel better and by mid afternoon was up playing, laughing and having fun. Reya's platelets appear to be low because she has a considerable amount of petechiae all over. She is also retaining quite a bit of fluid. When we arrived Mireya weighed 29lbs. She is now up to 32.5lbs in one day which will likely require another medication to help eliminate the extra fluid. We're gearing up for Round 2 and I'm praying it will not be a repeat of last night.

4 comments:

  1. I have had to hold back my tears, but no words can explain the feeling of a parent, when their child is sick or in ain, and there's nothing that you can do to make it go away; that's rough! Hang in there Bolton Family. God's got your back and so do we. My prayer tonight will be for comfort, rest and peace, with minimal side effects from the chemo. God Bless you...

    Sharon

    ReplyDelete
  2. Still praying for you guys! I find myself crying most days when I read your posts because I can only try to imagine how you guys feel, but then I remind myself that our God is in the healing business and he's the top of his game. Keep thanking and praising him...I'm doing it too! Love you all and Venus I'm going to Facebook message you about an address where you guys are so whenever you have time to look let me know :)

    Jenn

    ReplyDelete
  3. Reya is going to be a walking testimony for any child her age going through this same or like situation. Our prayers are definitely with you all. Please keep us abreast of day 2.

    Suzanne

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you all so much. It is tough, but I am reminded that God is in control and that Reya is an incredible little girl. We appreciate your love and prayers!!

    ReplyDelete