Yesterday we left the house around 6:30 AM. The drive in was the usual 2 hour trip. The day began with hydration and then IV antibiotics. Pete's temp was normal. Dr R and A came in and even though his numbers were pretty good Dr R decided to go ahead with the blood transfusion due to the fact that his temp had been fluctuating.
Because of the move to NYU, Pete's medical records and scans from Beth Israel need to be brought over, so I contacted L and then went up to sign release forms, which she immediately faxed over to Beth Israel. It was going to be a whole day affair and the doctor wanted everything ASAP, so I walked over to Beth Israel (about 2 mi) to pick them up, giving them time to get it all together. Neither were quite ready when I arrived so I just sat and waited. I did have to get L to light a fire under the people in medical records, otherwise I may be there still waiting.
It was just around noon as I got close to NYU so I picked up lunch for Pete and I. He was getting his first unit of blood when I returned. Each unit takes about 2 hours and they have to periodically check his vitals during the process. His temp fluctuated wildly every time they took it. One reading would be 98.3, the next would be 100.5, then back down to 97.9. then up to 100.9. When it was down, the nurse would say that we'd probably be able to go home if it stayed down. When it was up, she'd tell us that Pete would most likely have to go to the hospital and be admitted.
The second unit finished up around 4, but he still had the second dose of one of the antibiotics and finish up the hydration. His temp kept fluctuating, so we had no clear idea of what the final outcome would be. Finally sometime after 6, all the IVs were done and his last temp showed no fever. Just to make certain, A3 checked with Dr R and the verdict was to send us home but at the first sign of fever we were to report to the NYU emergency room at Tisch Hospital.
We were just about 3/4 of the way home when Pete got the call from A that the preliminary results of the blood culture showed a bacterial infection. She would call Dr R to see what his recommendation was, but she was pretty certain he would want Pete in the hospital. About 15 minutes later she called with the verdict: head to the ER.
Pete's wallet with all of his insurance cards was home and by now we were only minutes away so we continued home, did what we had to do, got in the car and headed back to the city. We found Tisch Hospital without any problem; by now it was somewhere between 9:30-10 PM. Pete said I could just drop him off and go home but I figured I'd feel better if I tagged along for a bit to see him get somewhat settled in. I stayed until 11 and then left for the 2 hour ride home.
It's now Saturday morning. I heard from Pete and he was moved from the ER bed to a room in the Oncology/Hematology wing around 4 AM. I'll be leaving here around noon to go up armed with the changes of clothes and other things that he asked me to bring to him. He'll be there until at least Monday and hopefully, by that time, they'll have a clearer picture of what's going on and have the fever/infection under control.
A did indicate, and we had already suspected, that the infection may have something to do with his portacath; whether it's the port itself, or an infection that was introduced when the needle came out. His resistance is so low that any minor break in the skin can have catastrophic results. Both times the needle came out, he said that he could tell because he felt it sticking him. Any little nick in the skin could have been just enough to allow one bacterium to enter his system and with few white blood cells to fight back, the infection grows like wildfire.
It hasn't been determined yet whether they'll have to remove the port, but that is one of the things that they'll be considering. All we do know is that he needs several more days of IV antibiotics and continuous hydration to fight the infection and the only place he can get those are in the hospital.
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