Almost there

Just one more day and we'll be home. I've learnt to be really kiasu this time and check and double check procedures with nurses and doctors, so that when Maeve's under sedation tomorrow for her lumbar puncture, they'll simultaneously do the injections, take blood and what-have-you. I realise that sparing the child the pain of pricks is not high on the agenda list of doctors as they'll do what they need to, when they need to and may not plan ahead, so as parents, we have to. I'm desperate to be home as 8 days in hospital is driving all of us crazy, especially when the toy library is not open during the long weekend. More importantly, Paige needs her family around and as she's now more aware of what's happening around her and recognising people and faces, she gets pretty fretful unless my helper shows her videos of Maeve, or we skype with her. Yesterday, Paige came for a visit and it broke our collective hearts seeing the 2 sisters cling on to each other, not wanting to separate. The nurses didn't allow her in the BMT area (Bone Marrow Transplant)where we were warded, in case of infection as the children doing bone marrow transplant cannot afford to have a single germ and children under the age of 12 are considered rather germy. So, we had to bring Maeve out to meet Paige in the MO's rest room...sort of like how prisoners have to go to a visitor room to meet their visitors! I tried to nurse her but she had clearly forgotten how to nurse after 1 week and just kept biting me. Of course, this week coincided with her sprouting her first tooth and she was eagerly trying out its sharpness on me! I don't know if this means she will get expressed milk from now on as I'm not sure I can risk her drawing blood if i continue to persist, which makes me very sad as there's nothing I love more than nursing a baby. Tomorrow we go home after a pretty long chemo round and this time, with the GCSF injection given earlier, I hope her counts go back up faster and there are less days where she is at risk. Now to think of a way to get her to lie down flat for 4 hrs after the puncture, as it has been almost impossible for the past few punctures. which 4 yr old is going to lie down for that long without throwing a fit. She can't even get up to pee or anything and has to use the bed pan if needed, but her little bum falls right in (adult sized), so really quite a challenge. Am going to have to convince her to wear diapers and do it in the diapers if it kills me!