I had a few moments this week where I felt like my schedule was too full and I needed to clear it. I felt like I was on the edge of panic mode. I felt like I had to stay home and kept a close eye on Naomi. I have asked her a million times this week if she feels ok and what her latest temp was (she usually checks it twice a day).

It hit me this morning when I was awake with my mind racing at 7am. A year ago today was when I tested her blood levels in my office because she woke with brusing like I had never seen before. A little after noon, I received stat results from the lab and rushed her to ER with zero platelets and by the end of the day her bleeding was worse than it had ever been. I never thought I could lose her as much as I did that day. I would not even let her out of the hospital bed to pee.

It ended up that there was a blood supply shortage in Nevada. We waited all day for blood and platelets to arrive from another state. After the transfusions were over, we went home where we would spend the weekend.

Monday morning, she was fevered and admitted at St. Rose with neutropenic fever. She remained hospitalized that week receiving multiple transfusions and antibiotics. Dr. David Margolis of Wisconsin worked with the doctors at Children’s Specialty Center of Nevada to prepare her for transplant. All of the doctors who cared for her that week hold a special place in my heart. They were all so compassionate, honest, quick to act and made her isolation time at St. Rose go smoothly.

When I think about how quickly everything moved at this time last year, I can clearly see the hand of God. In just a short week, we would leave for Wisconsin. A week after arriving in Wisconsin, she would begin chemotherapy to prepare for her transplant..