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Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Efficiency, Deception...and Elimination
Now that we are all accustomed to The Boy's treatment schedule and how he typically responds, it is that much easier to get in and out of the center in a reasonable amount of time. For example, the doctor usually orders blood or platelets in anticipation of The Boy needing it. We know to plan visits in such a way that the Type/Cross for blood rarely expires.
Thus, we arrived a bit before 9 and were out a bit after 12 for The Boy's receiving platelets.
I spoke with the doctors and nurses about The Boy's refusal to take Bactrim, the liquid antibiotic. The nurse who had forced (unsuccessfully) the Benadryl said that she thought her ears were burning from being talked about. There are two other options for this antibiotic. The first is to get it in a pill form. It is a larger pill, much larger than the little tiny one that he takes for his blood pressure. We'd mix it in ice cream or whatever other food item would hide it sufficiently. The second is to give The Boy an IV antibiotic treatment once a month, for an hour. The doctor said that it may not be as effective as the Bactrim, but then, an IV that actually goes in would be a lot more effective than a liquid med that doesn't. So we'll try again this weekend with the liquid and see if perhaps he has gotten over it.
Judging from the fact that he fought me on taking a syringe of Tylenol before his platelet transfusion, I'm not feeling very optimistic. The nurse suggested that we get him comfortable with the syringes again by giving him juice in the syringe. I'm not really buying that either, because The Boy will take Zofran in the syringe without a problem, once he figures out what is in there. He will take his vitamins (which smell and probably taste worse than the Bactrim) from a dropper. He will also take tylenol at home, from the dropper, when he needs it. So basically, this kid isn't stupid. We'll see if maybe the honey method will work for us again, and if not, I'll just ask to go directly to the IV medication. Perhaps The Boy will not need many additional oral meds until he is at least a little bit older.
I've been entertaining the idea of what to do about potty training. On the one hand, I think that we're a little ways from it, but on the other hand, he is able to identify what the potty is and sit himself on it (if he wants to) and he is old enough to start. That said, he would rather use the potty as a toy than as an actual potty, and it is a very little potty. He'd really need a bigger one at this point--we bought the one that we have when The Boy was 9.5 months old. Shortly before his diagnosis. At one point I didn't rinse poopy diapers for a day or two, because I was able to get him on the potty to poo. He also goes longer in between urinations--sometimes when we go to change him every two hours exactly during chemo, he isn't even wet yet. He often wakes up dry from naps. What I know about potty training is that it is dicey no matter what, and the child will complete the process when he is ready, but they also need to know about what it is before they can be ready. Basically, if I start him on potty training now, it will take us longer to complete the process, and it will be more work, but he may complete it far earlier than if I were to wait until he is much older. Or it may not stick and it won't make a difference when we start because he'll just want to do it later and not earlier.
It won't be much more work for The Boy to stay in diapers longer, as Baby Bear will be wearing them once he arrives. Most of the ones that we have can be used by either the little one or the big one.
I'd like to try to get in another nap (for both of us) before OT today. Let's see how it works.
Thus, we arrived a bit before 9 and were out a bit after 12 for The Boy's receiving platelets.
I spoke with the doctors and nurses about The Boy's refusal to take Bactrim, the liquid antibiotic. The nurse who had forced (unsuccessfully) the Benadryl said that she thought her ears were burning from being talked about. There are two other options for this antibiotic. The first is to get it in a pill form. It is a larger pill, much larger than the little tiny one that he takes for his blood pressure. We'd mix it in ice cream or whatever other food item would hide it sufficiently. The second is to give The Boy an IV antibiotic treatment once a month, for an hour. The doctor said that it may not be as effective as the Bactrim, but then, an IV that actually goes in would be a lot more effective than a liquid med that doesn't. So we'll try again this weekend with the liquid and see if perhaps he has gotten over it.
Judging from the fact that he fought me on taking a syringe of Tylenol before his platelet transfusion, I'm not feeling very optimistic. The nurse suggested that we get him comfortable with the syringes again by giving him juice in the syringe. I'm not really buying that either, because The Boy will take Zofran in the syringe without a problem, once he figures out what is in there. He will take his vitamins (which smell and probably taste worse than the Bactrim) from a dropper. He will also take tylenol at home, from the dropper, when he needs it. So basically, this kid isn't stupid. We'll see if maybe the honey method will work for us again, and if not, I'll just ask to go directly to the IV medication. Perhaps The Boy will not need many additional oral meds until he is at least a little bit older.
I've been entertaining the idea of what to do about potty training. On the one hand, I think that we're a little ways from it, but on the other hand, he is able to identify what the potty is and sit himself on it (if he wants to) and he is old enough to start. That said, he would rather use the potty as a toy than as an actual potty, and it is a very little potty. He'd really need a bigger one at this point--we bought the one that we have when The Boy was 9.5 months old. Shortly before his diagnosis. At one point I didn't rinse poopy diapers for a day or two, because I was able to get him on the potty to poo. He also goes longer in between urinations--sometimes when we go to change him every two hours exactly during chemo, he isn't even wet yet. He often wakes up dry from naps. What I know about potty training is that it is dicey no matter what, and the child will complete the process when he is ready, but they also need to know about what it is before they can be ready. Basically, if I start him on potty training now, it will take us longer to complete the process, and it will be more work, but he may complete it far earlier than if I were to wait until he is much older. Or it may not stick and it won't make a difference when we start because he'll just want to do it later and not earlier.
It won't be much more work for The Boy to stay in diapers longer, as Baby Bear will be wearing them once he arrives. Most of the ones that we have can be used by either the little one or the big one.
I'd like to try to get in another nap (for both of us) before OT today. Let's see how it works.
Promotion, and platelets
Sunday afternoon was my orchestra concert. The Boy was well enough to attend but not in the mood. I was "promoted" to first chair because the guy who was it didn't make it to the concert. Stomach virus. We didn't want him there with a stomach virus anyway.
Fun, except for the part when I was playing 1-bass-only stuff and my music fell. Oops.
Boy is ok. Today he is getting platelets. Probably needs more blood or platelets later in the week. Then we have OT today. PT was good. She says he is really on track now. His walking is getting closer and closer to typical.
More later...
Fun, except for the part when I was playing 1-bass-only stuff and my music fell. Oops.
Boy is ok. Today he is getting platelets. Probably needs more blood or platelets later in the week. Then we have OT today. PT was good. She says he is really on track now. His walking is getting closer and closer to typical.
More later...
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Still no luck on the medicine.
He will take his blood pressure med, crushed, on a spoon of honey. I tried mixing his antibiotic in with his juice, but he's too smart for that, and refuses to drink it. I haven't given him anything else to drink today in the hopes that he'll get thirsty enough and take it, but I'm just doubting it.
Maybe they can give him the same medicine in pill form and I can just crush it and give with more honey.
Remember that even if I wanted to, I can't force him to take liquid meds, because he just throws up. Violently. Also, it is an entire teaspoon, twice a day, three days a week. Not that he's gotten much of it this weekend. Fortunately it is just a prophylactic; hopefully he didn't need that type of protection this week.
He was sort of cranky this morning, although he doesn't have a fever and he ate very well. Probably tired because he has decided that he doesn't want to sleep, now that he knows how to get out of any bed.
Maybe they can give him the same medicine in pill form and I can just crush it and give with more honey.
Remember that even if I wanted to, I can't force him to take liquid meds, because he just throws up. Violently. Also, it is an entire teaspoon, twice a day, three days a week. Not that he's gotten much of it this weekend. Fortunately it is just a prophylactic; hopefully he didn't need that type of protection this week.
He was sort of cranky this morning, although he doesn't have a fever and he ate very well. Probably tired because he has decided that he doesn't want to sleep, now that he knows how to get out of any bed.
Friday, March 27, 2009
And speaking of gross...
Musical Daddy was amused by the fact that a now-clean boy had taken his diaper off and was walking around naked. Became less funny when he noticed that the diaper had poo in it and there was poo on The Boy's leg. He grabbed The Boy, I wiped him off, and I took care of the poopy diaper.
Now he is still naked. And he decided that he was hungry for shredded wheat, so he grabbed the box and started eating from it.
Now he is still naked. And he decided that he was hungry for shredded wheat, so he grabbed the box and started eating from it.
Medicine Woes
This evening I attempted to give The Boy his Bactrim, using the usual method of offering him honey, dipping the medicine syringe in honey, and giving it to him gradually.
Unfortunately, several hours earlier, at the treatment center, one of the nurses had given him Benadryl orally, which he usually gets as an IV med. I told her that he wasn't going to take it before she even tried, but she wanted to try anyway. Of course, he was in no mood for it, because it's gross. She held his chin up in order to get him to take it. He spit it out, and I told her to stop because I didn't want him throwing up. He got it IV anyway.
This evening, he was in no mood to trust a person with an oral syringe. I made the mistake of trying to give it to him anyway, and it caused a massive puke attack. Gross.
Musical Daddy pointed out that there was no use in getting upset at the nurse about it, because I should have told her right away that there was no chance of him taking that medication orally. Spilled milk, he said.
Another thing I could have done, and should have done, was to give him his anti-nausea medicine and then waited 5 minutes. I didn't think of that either. That would have made more sense, except that I was so misled by the fact that he had been feeling so well all week, with no appetite issues to speak of and no major aversions.
Anyhow, since we need to do laundry anyway, I may as well start with whatever set of laundry will include the puked-on outfit. Sigh.
Unfortunately, several hours earlier, at the treatment center, one of the nurses had given him Benadryl orally, which he usually gets as an IV med. I told her that he wasn't going to take it before she even tried, but she wanted to try anyway. Of course, he was in no mood for it, because it's gross. She held his chin up in order to get him to take it. He spit it out, and I told her to stop because I didn't want him throwing up. He got it IV anyway.
This evening, he was in no mood to trust a person with an oral syringe. I made the mistake of trying to give it to him anyway, and it caused a massive puke attack. Gross.
Musical Daddy pointed out that there was no use in getting upset at the nurse about it, because I should have told her right away that there was no chance of him taking that medication orally. Spilled milk, he said.
Another thing I could have done, and should have done, was to give him his anti-nausea medicine and then waited 5 minutes. I didn't think of that either. That would have made more sense, except that I was so misled by the fact that he had been feeling so well all week, with no appetite issues to speak of and no major aversions.
Anyhow, since we need to do laundry anyway, I may as well start with whatever set of laundry will include the puked-on outfit. Sigh.
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