Heigh ho - it's back to chemo we go

The beginning of each round of chemo is always a bit chaotic, and this round is no exception. For the first two days Eleanor starts with two hours of pre-hydration. She then receives cisplatin over a six hour infusion, followed by a two hour post-hydration. The etoposide runs the same time as the post-hydration (through a different line), and that means blood pressure checks every 15 mins. That goes on for an hour, and then she gets a little break, but six hours after the completion of the cisplatin, she gets a drug to counteract the effects of cisplatin (primarily hearing loss). This drug (I want to say sodium bicarbonate but I think that is table salt... something like that) is extremely nauseating so she gets ativan, benydryl and an extra dose of ondansetron. She usually wakes up for the administering of the ativan (it goes under her tongue) and so instead of this combo knocking her out cold, she is weirdly wired and simultaneously stoned. And it's usually around 4 or 5 in the morning. This is why I don't write much when we first get into hospital!

Eleanor does not care too much to be back here. I think she got used to the outside world and all its foibles, and she is thoroughly unimpressed with "arm hugs" (blood pressure checks) and vaccinations (RSV - one in each leg. Absolute torture), not to mention all the nasty aforementioned chemicals they pump into her. She's been pretty grouchy today and I don't blame her. She's up half a kilo in fluid and has had horribly interrupted sleeps/naps. We had lots of nice visitors and yummy food brought to us, so that made it a little better. At 6:30 I started to put her down and the music therapist came in and offered to play. Eleanor loves her, so I said sure, maybe some bedtime music. Erin played Eleanor's song quietly and slowly.  I don't know if she does that for all the kids, but she wrote a song for her - makes me cry every time she sings it.

Eleanor sat there, transfixed as she always does, until the very end when she started bobbing and reaching for the guitar. She loves strumming that guitar and banging her little tambourine and shaking her shakers... girl's got rhythm! Erin then broke out all the old favourites and Eleanor grooved along with her. It wasn't the lullaby I had hoped for, but she did go off to sleep fairly easily afterwards. She is now sprawled sideways across the bed (our bed - I guess I will be sleeping on the floor?) and totally peaceful.

We have been offered a chance to leave after she finishes chemo on Sunday. She doesn't do all the nasty stuff she used to, so our attending GP seems to think she could ride it out at home. While this would be amazing (only FIVE days in hospital?!?), it does open a can of "what if" worms. If she gets a fever or sick while we are home, we would have to go into Victoria General, and not back to Children's. I like that her doctors are here and they know her. It takes a lot out of me when I am constantly explaining every detail of her illness to a new doctor or nurse. I think for that reason alone we will stay put. We will go home when her counts start to rise and all her tests and scans are complete. Yup, it's that time again! Time to see exactly what is going on inside her little lungs aka Mummy's Gonna Have a Heart Attack Time! We still have at least a week to live with our heads firmly underground, so we won't worry about that until we get there. I am giving myself more fun things to look forward to - only one more week til 30 Rock starts up again! Then it's all Tina Fey sass until May. Can't wait.

I have no way to end this post, so instead of me taxing my brain, here are some super cute photos of our break over Christmas! Enjoy!

Resting in ICU (yes, I took the gown when we left. Best jailbird/crazy person gown EVER!)

Playing with a very generous birthday gift from one of the other families on the ward

Opening prezzies Christmas morning!

Napping on Granny and Grandpa's bed, Christmas Day

Enjoying a glass of red with her God-Lady

Chocolate bikkies and watching cartoons with Daddy...

Daddy was super tired from all night meds. Bless.

Out in the stroller!

Cuddles with her big cousin Bea