Sixth Treatment

Fletcher received his sixth stem cell treatment this morning, his fifth via spinal delivery. The doctors decided to go back to square one in terms of sedation and he received only di.azepam. They also took into consideration what I suggested about the anti-allergen, and since he had already received five treatments with no evidence of allergic reaction, they decided his was low-risk and proceeded without the de.xamet.hasone, but will be monitoring him extra carefully for any signs of an allergic reaction. Pre-treatment prep wasn’t too bad. He cried as they placed the IV, but quickly recovered. The administration of the di.azepam was via IV, so no enemas or IM shots and he was nice and loopy going into the treatment room. We’ve noticed that after the administration of the di.azepam he kind of makes noises like a drugged-up baby Chewbacca…

What do you think?

Trevor listened at the door during the procedure while I chose the effective method of hair-drying to once again distract me from what was going on next door. He was calm as he returned and has been pretty good ever since. Maria-Josephina and her family let us borrow a Baby Einstein dvd and Trevor and Fletcher are laying quietly in the crib watching it (I did mention the crib in the room is the size of a twin bed). Only one more treatment to go!

[Scene: Same small hospital room, a little more than five hours later.] Trevor is bending the rules just a touch and holding Fletcher (who is still parallel to the floor) on his lap while we count down the final few minutes of bed-rest. Fletcher initially took a nap for about two hours, but wasn’t too happy when he woke up. He ate, fussed, screamed, choked, spit-up, calmed—lather, rinse, repeat—for the couple of hours. He seemed to be in some pain, so we gave him some Tylenol and finally, after our modified bed-rest plan in daddy’s lap, he settled in for another hour nap while Trevor watches Chinese platform diving on mute. Oh yes, we lead a glamorous, jet-setting life, don’t we.