Never thought I'd be so happy for 102 degrees

A quick post here to let you know that it has been a tough couple of days for Millie. We got home from the hospital Friday, and by the afternoon she was complaining of a headache. I took her temperature at about 6pm and it was 100.5. Brian took it an hour later and it had risen to 101.8. At 101.5 we have to call the doctor and be admitted to an emergency room for IV antibiotics. The worry is that if she has a bacterial infection in her lines or otherwise, she doesn't have sufficient immunity to fight.

I was upset, as was Millie, to have our plans disrupted. We were planning a slumber party upstairs, since the kids' room had been painted by the Make-A-Wish foundation in anticipation of her room decorating on Tuesday, and most everything was out of the room. We had big plans for Saturday as well, taking part in a luncheon event in Japantown SF with the Children's Cancer Community- then heading to Napa to visit and spend the night with our good friends Sue and Fred.

I need to remember never to plan any thing! I need to just move like a babbling brook, wherever the current takes me.

Millie and I drove up to Santa Rosa to Kaiser Hospital and were admitted right away to a room in the ER. (Yay for Santa Rosa Kaiser Emergency BTW- they are awesome!). By the time we got there her fever was 102.8 and had risen another degree by the time we left. In the mean time they took a blood culture to check for bacterial infection and administered a dose of a strong antibiotic through her broviac lines. Millie slept a lot on the bed, but her head was really killing her. She told the nurse her pain level was a "10". This is from a girl that when was recovering from surgery on her leg never gave her pain over a 4. After much coaxing (over an hour), Millie swallowed the liquid Tylenol given to her for pain and fever. She is not good with oral meds. We got back home at 2am, and Millie climbed onto the sofa bed with Griffin upstairs and we had our slumber party.

I didn't sleep.

Saturday her fever was 104.4 upon awaking, and stayed at 103-104 all morning. She just slept on the couch and drank sips of ice water now and then. I felt paralyzed- with so many chores I could have been doing I could only sit next to her quietly and watch her sleep. The dry heat of her body was unrelenting-I kept my hand on her head or neck and waited for that telltale sweat of a breaking fever. Waited for her to kick off the blankets she clutched around herself, waited with water and washcloth.

After noon, she woke and desperately wanted to go visit our friends Sue and Fred (as did Griffin). Her fever had dropped to 102, so we made the trip across Sonoma and Napa Valleys to their home up towards Lake Berryessa. This in the absence of a functioning air conditioner in our car. Phew! Millie threw up in Napa. Poor thing! I questioned my sanity many times on the drive. Why didn't I just tell them no?

But, once at Sue and Freds, the kids really perked up, and MIllie didn't even feel warm any more. They played with all the toys and costumes and silly stuff that Sue keeps around for such occasions, had a nice dinner, and were sad to leave for our trip back to Kaiser Hospital for Millie's second dose of antibiotics. Last night at Kaiser was quicker-and we were home by 11:30. I honestly cannot remember ever being as tired as I was when I sank into bed last night