Naomi had a lot of energy on Tuesday morning.  It was hard to keep up with her actually.  We played volleyball over the bed, and walked the halls.  She was very emotionally needy.  She saw her labs and for a second she mistook her RBCs for hemoglobin and started to cry that her level plummeted.  I explained her misunderstanding and comforted her.  I’m finding myself tired, worn out and also a bit anxious for some blood counts so I can relate to how she is feeling.  Being patient is a full time job right now.

With so much energy we didn’t start school early.  Her focus was not there.  So we played.  Then around 12:30pm she had a line change which meant she bathed and could play without the pole for about an hour.  They are letting her stay free much longer now that we are further o from the chemo.  She played kickball, basketball in the recreational therapy room, and ran laps.  But when we came back to her room, she crashed and took a nap.

The nurse woke her for vitals but then she rolled over and went right back to sleep.

When she woke up, she completed almost all her school work for the day.  I was really surprised by this as I’d pretty much written school off for the day.  Having done everything but Latin, we got ready for bed by doing our nightly routine: mouth care, HCG wipes,  changed bedding, new pajamas, night meds, and a massage.  I massage her with essential oils that help support the liver the kidneys which are most at risk after chemo.  I also use lotions to help keep her skin moisturized as the chemo can be really drying.

We also ate a bear claw while watching one episode of the Great British Bake Off and talking about all the foods we hope to bake when we get out of here.  That is probably our biggest escape right now – planning all the things we want to do when she has an ANC again.

Doctors rounds were unremarkable today.  Her potassium levels have been going up and down.  The anti-rejection medicine causes potassium retention which is a kidney issue.  So we have to be aware of foods she eats and choose low potassium wherever possible.  Naomi and I talked at length about it.  Naomi was very concerned that she can’t eat a lot of her favorite foods.  On Sunday she ate a lot of the foods that are high in potassium.  So her levels were high Monday morning because of that.  As we are more aware of potassium-containing foods and know to choose around them, we can better plan what foods matter most to her.  No more days with chips, fries and a banana all in the same day!