Saving Sarah

Sarah started round three of chemo on Tuesday.  I was nervous she would be depressed when we came back after a nice long break at home.  But she fell right back into her hospital rhythm.  We wandered the halls, said hi to Oliver, snuck up on nurses, played peek a boo and cuddled.  She was totally fine, and I was just in awe of her and her happy outlook. Wednesday, November 29th, we woke up about 8:30.  She asked for her bottle.  She seemed tired and just drained of energy, but that's pretty normal with all her little body is going through.  Doctors rounded and checked on her, all seemed well.   We fell asleep again.  I woke up a little after ten and had a yucky feeling.  I looked at Sarah...Her eyes were open but she was out of it.  I knew something was wrong.  I frantically pushed the nurse button and Kathy came right in.  As soon as Kathy got to the bedside Sarah started seizing.  It was slight at fir...

Sarah was scheduled to start round three of chemo today, but she hasn't totally recovered from the infection.  Home health came yesterday to take labs, everything looked great except the ANC (absolute neutrophil count...a type of white blood cell that fights infection).  To start chemo her ANC needed to be at least 1,000 but it's only 700.  I was anxious to get started on round three....I just want to get it all done and behind us.  But I am so happy we get to be home this long Thanksgiving week as a family. We are still being extra cautious and keeping Sarah at home and as germ-free as possible.  I think she really needed an extra week home, she just seems so tired.  She still loves to do things she used to but she runs out of energy pretty fast.  She loves dancing (while mommy or daddy hold her) to Imagine Dragons, Taylor Swift, and Phillip Phillips.  She is very particular about her music! A few times at the hospital she would tell me, ...

Sarah was able to get a temporary PICC line placed today.  (They placed a temporary line in her arm to give the infection in her chest plenty of time to clear.  Before she starts round four they will place the double PICC line in her chest). Nathan and I walked down to the procedure center with Sarah and the nurse.  When we walked in it was silent.  I looked around at all the curtained off rooms and asked the nurse if there was anyone else there today.  She said no, they typically don't work on Sunday's....but they knew Sarah had been at the hospital awhile and they wanted her to be able to go home. We were touched that they would take time away from their family to make it so Sarah could spend extra time with hers. There is so much goodness in the world, but I think most of the time we hear about the bad.  This experience has opened my eyes and I see so many small acts of kindness, most of the time from people who are unaware of the difference they are...

The last couple weeks have been pretty exhausting, emotionally and physically, for our family. Sarah had a port under her skin near her ribs.  When she is in the hospital her port is accessed with a needle and bandaged up.  Then when we have to do chemo, or lab draws, or IV meds, it's pretty quick and painless.  Her typical chemo round (without any hiccups) is roughly three weeks.  Dressing on a port has to be changed at least every seven days, but Sarah had a hard time ever making it last seven days.  One morning she woke up and her bed sheets were soaked because her tubing had a leak.  So she had to be deaccessed and then reaccessed.  Then on Halloween her platelets were really low and she bled through her port and soaked her nightgown.  She again had to be deaccessed and then reaccessed.  It was a pretty traumatic experience for her.  Then on Saturday she had another hole in her tubing, so she was deaccessed and reaccessed.  An...

Sarah got to spend a fun weekend at the hospital with her awesome daddy.  I went home Friday night to be with Hannah and Camden. We were able to go to their cousin's baptism Saturday morning.  It was beautiful and the Spirit was so strong.  I kept reminding the kids to be reverent and then out of habit I would turn my head to check on Sarah.  When I realized what I was doing I just cried. I wanted so much for her to be there with us. I came back to the hospital today just in time for the Sacrament to be brought to Sarah's room.  They shared a quote from Elder Maxwell, then blessed and passed the sacrament.  It melted my heart to see Sarah reach for the bread and the water.  I remember back in September, two days after Sarah's surgery, they came to bring the sacrament to me in the pediatric intensive care unit.  Sarah's eyes were swollen shut from surgery.  She was awake, but she couldn't see.  She heard them say the prayer and she fold...