I know you’re already praying… that’s just the kind of people you are… but we need to go into overdrive. Tanner continues to have fevers that come and go. Today, they were higher… 103. She is coughing almost constantly. She’s tested negative for all the known, testable viruses and, thus far, has grown nothing on her cultures suggesting she has a bacterial infection. Since she is not responding to the antibiotics, they think she probably has a virus, which they really can’t do anything about. They ran another chest x-ray today because of her cough worsening, but we haven’t gotten the results back yet. I think if it had shown pneumonia, they would have already started her on new drugs, so I’m assuming it was negative.
She actually feels fairly good and is in good spirits. When her fever spikes, she feels pretty bad, but tylenol brings it down and they give her oxycodone for pain and then she is better and a bit kooky!
A bed opened up in the oncology unit and we got moved there this evening. We’ve been on a general peds floor and we are grateful we have been moved to the floor where the nurses are more attuned to her particular problems. They drew more cultures tonight after her fever spiked again, so maybe something will turn up and tell us what this is so they can treat it better. It’s frustrating and we feel helpless when we are told the plan is to “stay the course and hope she fights it off.”
Her neutraphils and white blood cell counts have not improved at all and her hemaglobin and some other counts have dropped some. It’s scary, but we have to have faith that we are in the right place with doctors who will know how to make this turn out okay.
One funny story… we had a singing transporter today take us to the x-ray room. He had a wonderful voice and sang Elvis, Jim Croce, some Christmas songs and many others. He and Tanner sang Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer in the elevator and he made her promise that next time, she would teach him a Hannah Montana or Taylor Swift song. The people who work here are the very best kind of people.
You probably saw the picture of Tanner in her new hair today. It was a miracle that “hat wig” came in the mail today. It was supposed to take 5-7 days to get here, but arrived in 3 days, just in time. Tanner’s hair is all gone now save for a few wisps. She looked at herself in the mirror today and cried. She told me she looked hideous. Then, the wig came and she got so excited. She has even decided she wants the remaining hair shaved off as soon as possible, something that will make her feel more comfortable and will actually be cuter than the wispy pieces. She likes the new wig so much that we ordered another in strawberry blond! She’s deciding whether she wants brown as well.
So, I’m praying to the Virgin Mary tonight… I figure she’s a Mom too and knows what it’s like to worry about her child.
Love,
Beth
TANNER,
WHEN MY HAIR WAS ALMOST ALL OUT I WANTED PAPA TO SHAVE THE
REST OF IT OFF AND HE DID WITH HIS RAZOR THAT HE SHAVES WITH.
THEN I WORE DIFFERENT WIGS AND IT WAS FUN TO HAVE A LOT OF
DIFFERENT “LOOKS”. WE CAN TALK ABOUT OUR WIGS WHEN I SEE YOU!
I LOVE YOU, E.
Beth, John, Tanner, and Jake,
We are sending up more prayers on your behalf! We love all of you very much!
I wll update Tanner this morning on the prayer list. She is always in our prayers.
John and Beth I am sorry the fever will not go down and stay. From keeping up with your blog I know you have a tough little girl and I know she will fight this off. Will continue to pray, pray and pray more that she will get well enough to go back home soon.
I also started praying to Mary when Becca was in trouble…perhaps not orthodox for a UM pastor, but you’re right – she’s got to understand what it’s like to be a worried mom. My prayers are joining yours with her.
Hey Tanner, Hannah Montana wears a wig too! This can be very cool!
You’re always in my prayer but today you will get a double pray.
Tanner,
I was thinking the same thing about you looking like Hannah Montana too. I think many of our Moore kids would think you look super cool with this hair. They will be asking their moms to get one just like yours!!
Tanner Page is still our star!!! Hope you feel better soon.
Mrs. Wilkes
Moore Elementary