Strep

Strep

Written Jun 4, 2012 7:23pm by Heather Dalik

Strep throat has hit our house.  In a matter of days, the whole family will be down.  You think I am kidding?  Sweet Grace came to me at 11:00 yesterday morning, "Mommy, my throat hurts"  One look and I knew what was coming.  She made it through her family party on the motrin/tylenol cocktail.  She was mostly polite to her guests but it was easy to see she didn't feel well.  She went to bed as soon as everyone left, nestled in my bed, surrounded by her gifts.  She wanted to pay attention to them but didn't have the energy.  

This morning we brought all Grace's gifts downstairs and she played with them on the sofa.  Between naps, she looked at her treasures.  I love seeing Grace happily spoiled.  

Cora continues to deal with her sore throat.  She hasn't gotten any worse but I am not sure she is much better.  She only had a few meltdown tantrums today, as opposed to a few an hour.  This is progress, I suppose.  She saw Nancy today at clinic.  Nancy did a few other cultures, just to make sure nothing else is going on.  Cora was also tested for mono and it takes a few days to get that test back.  Her potassium and kidney levels are still very high, despite the significant drop in cyclosporin.  I was hoping we could get back to banana's and oranges but not yet.  We will be playing the waiting game for her liver/kidneys and gvhd.  Nancy mapped out our summer clinic visits - we will be once a week through July just to keep track of things.  I haven't figure out how that is going to work with school being out.  

Andrew is going to start a preventative antibiotic.  If I don't do that, he will be the next to fall.  He came home from school and laid on the living room floor like he was going to fall asleep.  Maybe sympathy pains for Grace or maybe he is next.  

Yesterday, I emailed a friend - "Grace has strep, Cora has strep, I have poison sumac so bad I think my arm is going to fall off.  I am done."  Gretchen encouraged me to see the silver lining, we made it through Grace's birthday and Cora seems to be handling her strep (although have you EVER seen strep with no fever?)  Every so often I get "done" with this journey.  I want it to be over and I mourn my other life.  The life where no one felt sorry for me and worries were insignificant like what to have for dinner.  So, thanks to Gretchen and Amy who knew just what to say to get me to see the silver lining.  

Thanks guys!

Be CORAgeous!