QUIET TIME

 I'm taking some time off from the blog, probably a week.  I know I've not been blogging on a regular basis because...well, life.

Here's what been happening:

Kitty had been having a hard time breathing for a while and had prescribed medication for the problem and has an appointment with her pulmonologist to try to determine exactly what the problem is.  At the same time a heart scan showed pulmonary stenosis (basically, one of her valves started going wonky).  Over the past three weeks, she became bloated and gained 30 pounds.  On Saturday morning her breathing worsened considerably and I took her to the emergency room and she was immediately hospitalized.

The main culprit, it seems, is the new chemo medicine she had been given for her hemolytic anemia.  Way, way down (and in very small type) on the list of possible side effects was breathing difficulties.  Her hematologist immediately stopped the medication.  In the meantime she as placed on a restricted liquid diet and given what seemed to be the world's entire supply of Lasix diuretic to reduce the fluid in her body that caused the bloating.  (More fluid in the body means more difficulty in getting blood flow from the heart, eventually affecting the lungs.)  Over the next five days, about ten doctors (with three different specialties) haunted her room.  Her numbers improved and it looked like we were going home on Tuesday, but...well, I think we angered the gods somehow.  The main hospital pulmonologist decided she need a blood transfusion before being released.  Since Kitty has always been a very special person, she also has very special blood filled with very special antibodies and antigens (when we lived in Massachusetts, she was often called into Boston Children's to donate blood for pediatric cancer patients because of a special antigen her blood).  This meant that the blood for a transfusion had to come from a different hospital and it had to be processed for being placed in transit.  Did I mention that there was a bad storm Tuesday night and Wednesday, with high winds and tornado watches?  The blood finally arrived Wednesday afternoon, over twenty-four hours later than planned.

We're home now.  Kitty has a pile of appointments with various doctors, as well as home health aides and various clinics scheduled.  She is exhausted and weak.  Hospital beds were not designed for comfort or for sleeping (and chairs in hospital rooms are just a bit more uncomfortable for sleeping as I can testify).  Dire warnings of COPD and congestive heart failure are still ringing in our ears.  It appears, though, that most of her problems are eminently fixable, although it will take some time.  While we get used to the new normal, my focus will be on her.  Blogging will take a back seat to her (actually, it always has, but you know what I mean).   With luck, I'll be back in a week or so.