Even though I don’t really have much to report, I thought people might be anxious to hear an update since everyone knew we were in Iowa City for an ad hoc bone marrow test. Unfortunately, those results take 2-3 days, so we won’t know until Tuesday at the earliest thanks to the holiday. Happy Labor Day, by the way. We’re thinking about all of you at THRBC, hope you have a great weekend.
Eli did unbelievably well for his bone marrow test. In the past, Eli has been knocked out for the procedure. This was the first time it was done without general anesthesia. It was also the first time Lacey and I actually saw the procedure done. After watching it, I was kind of wishing I was put under. As our doctor said when he saw the look on Lacey and I’s faces, “It’s pretty barbaric looking, isn’t it?” That was approximately the time when they were pushing and twisting a big needle with a handle on it into his back pelvis bone to extract the marrow as well as a piece of the bone for a biopsy. It looked like something straight out of Dr. Quinn, Medicine woman. Sorry for the abstract point of reference for you international or really young folks. Maybe this would help: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Quinn_Medicine_Woman
They had given Eli Valium and Morphine and promised he wouldn’t remember a thing. Remember, this is the kid that gets more awake when you give him Ativan and laughs at Chlorohydrate. Sure enough, we quizzed him later and he could recall every detail of the event. Luckily, the morphine and local anesthetic seemed to work because he couldn’t feel too much more than the pressure of the doctor digging into his back.
I am amazed when I stop and think about how many procedures and tests this kid has had in the last 2 and half months and how they just roll of his back and he keeps on being a kid. Nurses and doctors always tell him how brave he is and after we got into the car to head home on Friday and he wanted to know if he could have chicken nuggets for lunch, I realized how right they are. The crazy thing is that whenever we hop in the car to head to Iowa City, we never hear a single complaint. Not one. He knows more medical terms than many kids in elementary school and you should see the eyes of the pharmacist and nurses when he explains to them what medicines he takes and how many squirts of the syringe they all are. He takes all of his medicines in just a few seconds as opposed to the beginning when it took 30 minutes to get an oral med down his throat. I don’t think I’d take it all as well as Eli does.
One nightmare we always have to deal with is getting his meds at a pharmacy. The University of Iowa Hospital pharmacy is horrendously late every time and frankly, doesn’t really need our business. They are so busy it always ends us making us late to come home to get our meds there. However, the big name pharmacies in Ames always give us the run around about being able to make these certain meds and getting the recipes from Iowa City. Finally, I had Lacey call this new pharmacy in Ames called Somerset Pharmacy. The guy was amazing. It’s got a nice small town pharmacy feel and he could handle making ANY of Eli’s meds in no time flat. Extremely nice guy and very helpful. I highly recommend him to anyone in the Ames area. He has our business for as long as we live close.
So, anyway, that’s the post for the day. Be sure to check the Photo Album for more pictures of being back home and our time at the ISU vs. Kent State game!