Half Way to New York, New York (sorry it's so long)

So it's time to revisit the almost trip to New York 5/10/10 to see Chick Corea at the Blue Note.  Dave's platelets were very low (so he could bleed easily) and so was his hemoglobin.  I felt I had told everyone  at the oncologist office that we had this trip planned.  Dave went in for some platelets in the morning.  He had had some nosebleeds and coughed up some blood a couple times.  Our nephew, Erik, met up with us and we left for Ohio by 1 pm.  Dave was pretty weak but determined to go.  I realized about an hour on the road that I had forgotten the wheel chair I was going to bring along.  I decided we'd find something there.  We made it to the hotel in Ohio early evening and Dave wanted to rest.  While he napped, Erik and I went to eat (free food at the Residence Inn so we'd be close if Dave needed us).  Around 8:30 we went back to our room ( a 2 bedroom suite) and I checked on Dave.  He felt hot and had a temperture over 101 degrees.  He hadn't eaten or had much to drink and he was sooooo tired.  I called the oncologist on call in St Joe.  He told me he didn't know we were going out of town, that he usually would give patients an oral antibiotic to take with them in case of a temperature like this and since we didn't have that we would have to go to the emergency room.  I found the nearest hospital on the internet.

I let Erik know we needed to go to the emergency room, he decided to rest while we were gone, and we got Dave in the car.  We found the hospital despite some remodeling and there was a little walk from where I could park, so I went and got a wheel chair for Dave and pushed him in.  I told everyone we were on our way to New York, needed some antibiotics so we could get on the road in the morning.  I was going to do everything I could to get him there.  Dave had a CAT-scan and they said not being able to compare to previous films meant they would call Lakeland in the morning or we could head back home tonight.  The doctor was very understanding of our plight, but said we'd just end up in the hospital in New York if we didn't stay there or he'd release Dave after a dose of antibiotics with a promise we'd go right to the hospital back home.  We sat there waiting for the IV Vancomycin to finish and then headed back to the hotel.  I think we got to the ER before 10 pm and left around 2 am.  I could tell Dave was really sick, he was also disappointed but resigned to our fate.  We decided not to wake up Erik when we got back to the hotel and tried to get some sleep before the ride home.  That was not easy for me.  I feared I had gotten us in a situation that would be diffucult to get out of -  the trip home would be a hard one.  Dave had no appetite, he had not had much to eat that day of travel and was not drinking much despite my constant reminders (okay maybe it was more bothersome than that).

Dave waited in the car with Erik while I made an emergency stop at a Best Buy...we forgot some important stuff.

Erik

Dave on the road to New York

I think we got up about 8 or 9 am and I broke the news to Erik that we had to head home.  I asked him to drive since I had much less than 5 hours sleep.  Before we took off, I called the oncologist office and left a message that Dave had been in the emergency room in Ohio, they were going to call with an update and we were told to go right to the hospital in St Joe when we got home.  I was told a nurse would call me back.  I also remembered to cancel our hotel reservations in New Jersey.  It was less than 24 hours, but when I said my husband was being admitted to the hospital, they cancelled it without charges.  One good thing happened.  We snacked and ate a little on the road, but made very few stops.  I think Dave got out to the bathroom once.  He drank some of a shake and I checked his temperature all the way home (he was very bothered by my hovering over every move he made).  I got to nap for a couple hours and I think Dave and Erik talked some along the way.  I had left another message with the receptionist at the oncologist office around noon without hearing back.  When we got around South Bend it must have been getting closer to the oncologist office closing time and his temp was over 102 degrees again.  I finally got to talk with a nurse (begged the receptionist) who suggested we should go to the emergency room in South Bend.  I told her we had driven this far and we were coming home and driving right to the emergency room (as directed by the hospital in Ohio).  Being the good, or crazy, pediatric nurse I was, we drove the rest of the way with the sunroof and windows open trying to help cool Dave down.  I didn't want him to get hotter, plus sometimes when temperatures rise over 102 it can cause seizures and that was the last thing we needed.  Poor Erik..... he drove with his hoody over his head and some heat blowing just on him from South Bend to the hospital.  I remember trying to figure out how we'd get Erik to his car when he was ready to leave.  I think I called the Mierau's on the road close to St Joe.  Lindsey got to the emergency room right about when we got to an exam room and Sue followed.  Erik stayed with us for a while and then Lindsey took him to his car at our house in my car (his travel things were still in there) and brought my car back to the hospital.  Dave's temperature was still 102 when they checked it.  It took a few hours to get lab work and a room.  I always wondered why I didn't ask the oncologist office to direct admit him or why they didn't offer.

I have to confess.... I really wasn't sure we should go,  I thought Dave was too weak.  I also have to admit I'm glad we tried even though we failed ( he wound't have had it anyother way).  It was the begining of the end; time became even more precious.