Oops!

So sorry!  We blew it yesterday.  No post.  Well, here goes.  So we reported as summoned at the nurses station on 8E at the University of Washington Medical Center.  We were escorted to room 8218 and met Dani's nurses. They are great.  After getting Dani settled, they decided to hydrate her some more, so she got attached to an IV and settled in.  She feels much better after that.  I got the tour of the linen room (so I can go get warm blankies and such) and the nourishment room, (extra goodies for our girl after meal times), and the family room for use by caregivers etc.  It is nice, TV, refrigerater, washer and dryer and even a shower room. 

The view from her room is incredible!  It is so green here this time of year, (well, every time of year) and there is a small park directly below our building with a walking and bike path, a cute gazebo and beyond that a lovely neighborhood.  Best of all, you can see Mount Rainer.  Yesterday was the first clear sunny day in a while and it was completely visible!  That's apparently unusual. Anyway, very good view.

About 1 pm they started the final stages of chemotherapy with an IV fluid call Cytoxin.  It runs for about an hour and then another one today.  Lots of anti-nausea meds before.  The reactions were interesting (Dani might use a different word).  First, burning in the nasal passages, moving on to the sinuses, developing into a massive headache and later a burning in the mouth tissues.  Apparently, the hospital personnel refer to it as "jalapeno mouth"  Dani says that is very accurate, like you ate something very hot, but it doesn't go away.  It was pretty bad.  They gave her pain meds and some "magic mouthwash" that apparently really numbs the mouth tissues.  It finally got better and then she went to sleep very early.

Today, mostly a repeat, but with a few exciting moments.  A whole team of doctors came and lined up at the foot of the bed and after introducing themselves, said they were there to answer any questions she might have.  So she asked where they were from.  Our young doctor that we met yesterday is from Costa Rica and lo and behold, one of the doctors is from near where she lived for a few months in Russia.  He promised to visit so they could speak Russian.  Fun! The chemo went some better today, the pharmacist suggested Sudofed before the treatment and it seemed to help quite a bit, not so much pain.

Tomorrow she gets a day off from lots of medicines apparently to rest before her transplant on Friday. We are both being treated wonderfully by all the people we have met here.  I am using the shuttle from here to SCCA and then on to the hospital.  It's great to sit back and let somebody else navigate Seattle traffic.

We are doing well, and even though the days are tough, our girl is holding up, thanks largely to her faith and all the support she has from friends and family.  Thanks to you all, more later.

Bye for now,

MOM