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29 March 2009
MICHAEL LAWS
LUCY'S DADDY
UPDATE
ON LUCY – Sunday, 29 March 2009
It has now been 11 days since Lucy was first taken to hospital with high fevers. She was admitted two Thursdays ago as a consequence and has been in isolation ever since.
The specialists - inconsultation with the child onclogists at Starship - have followed a precautionary regime of intravenous antibiotics and then monitored her bloods daily, and sometimes twice daily.
They have now ruled out a viral infection (which was the thinking) because there has been NO improvement over that eleven days and because her neutrophils and white blood counts - which were gradually edging up - have now dropped back to their point of 4-5 days ago.
Meanwhile, she continues to spike temperatures which are only kept under control with paracetemol. She has already exceeded her maximum dosage which is why, today, they started to administer an anti-fungal treatment.
At which point, we get worried. Because if what causes the temperature is not viral and not bacterial then a fungal infection is dangerous. It's what we went through a year and a month ago with the aspergillosis that attacked her at induction. It is dangerous anytime for netropenic patients.
And yet ... and this is why the specialists are baffled ... she is well within herself, eating OK (she's only lost 0.2 of a kg in the past 11 days) and apart from the periodic fevers, seems fine.
We've discussed a transfer to Starship today - Wangani is not equipped for neutropenic children and it was yet another oversight (no, a deliberate exclusion) when the new children's ward was built. The managers should be shot - it does and will not properly meet the demands of sick Wanganui children.
That said, the staff are excellent and the food is great too. In fact, the food has been a revelation. In other words, the clinical side is fine but for the bloodymindedness of bureaucrats means that the childrens ward is not what it could have been.
I've still got this lurgy: visiting Lucy with a mask - but Leo is very tired and trying to keep Lucy entertained and look after five-month old Theo is a real task for her. Will update tomorrow.
Cheers
Michael."
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