NOT the greatest day! (Day +1)

Today started off pretty crappy in the early hours of this morning, and steadily went downhill! 

Cameron was due to get a blood transfusion at around 4am - why they can't wait a couple of hours until the child is awake is a mystery - I had explained to the nurse that he would most likely throw up if they tried to give him oral medications before his transfusion (he is always pre-medicated before he gets blood in case of an allergic reaction).  So, at 4am, just as I had predicted, the medication went in and came straight back out again - with a vengeance.  I am constantly amazed at how someone who only ingests a maximum of one ounce of formula a day and no other liquids or solid foods, can throw up so much.  Where on earth is it all coming from?

Sadly, while we were dealing with the throwing up etc, the "code blue" alarm went off in another room.  This always makes me feel immediately sick for the family who's child is in crisis.  All the nurses rushed to help with the alarm, and as I sat there with Cameron it all became real to me again, that code could be for my child one day.  All I could do was lie there with him, listening to the silence and inhaling him.  My sweet, sweet, sick child - and my heart broke all over again.

At 5am, the nurse woke me to tell me that Cameron had a fever and that she had called the doctor.  I know that after the amount of chemotherapy that Cameron just had, fevers are one of the things that are to be expected, but it doesn't make them any less frightening.  They drew blood cultures and started him on antibiotics.  Unfortunately, because the fever medication is oral and his nausea is so severe, he can't take anything to bring the fever down.

The rest of the day has been spent either throwing up or napping.  He's not up to playing at all today and has hardly spoken.  Its breaking my heart, but the worst part is that the doctor says it's going to get so much worse before he starts feeling better.  Apparently for the next 7 or 8 days they expect him to gradually feel worse as the mucositis becomes more severe and the fevers most likely continue.  He will only start feeling better after day 8 at the earliest. 

I am heading home tonight to see James and spend the weekend with him.  It's so hard to leave Cameron, but I know that I need to see James and I need to get some rest, so I'm forcing myself to go home.  Frank will be here with Cam for the weekend and we will switch over again on Sunday night.