Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Homecoming

At some point you'd think we'd learn that anything can happen at any time when it comes to "the plan." That was certainly true this week:

On Monday we learned that Elizabeth's strep pneumo infection in her blood was resistant to the antibiotic that she'd been taking for 3 days. So they swapped her to Vancomiacin (which the bug was sensitive to) and we hoped the clock would start ticking with negative cultures. The girls came to visit, Ruby kept Elizabeth company and Hannah took an hour long nap in the shower of Elizabeth's bathroom.

What we didn't realize, was that the swap in antibiotics got them talking about a new possibility of an oral antibiotic that has been developed in the past 5 years that is almost as effective as an IV antibiotic. The Infectious Disease team felt comfortable sending her home after 48 hours of negative cultures.

THEN at about 36 hours, Elizabeth lost her IV, so I asked the team to consider an earlier discharge rather than sticking her for just one more dose of IV antibiotics. And based on our history, Matt's expertise, and our proximity to the hospital, they agreed we could go home! As soon as Elizabeth got wind of the new plan, she stripped off her hospital gown and said, "I'm ready to go home". Then she grabbed all her toys and blankets from her bed, threw them in the waiting wagon and climbed in the wheelchair, ready to go!

As all this was happening, St. Louis was experiencing a really bad ice storm, and everything everywhere was closing to allow people to get home before things got dangerous. So Matt was able to cancel his clinics and move his patients to next week...for weather reasons and not "sick daughter" reasons. And that allowed him to be home on Tuesday when I got home with Elizabeth so we could all get adjusted again.

Once again, God took good care of us this week. More friends brought meals, more circumstances "just worked out"...So we're home, tired, but happy.
Thank you for your prayers, your emails, your encouragement...all of it.
We are amazed to be surrounded by such support.


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