Oh, where do I start.  Yesterday was anything but easy.  Waking up at 4 in the morning to be here on time was the easiest part of the day.  Meaghan was "first case" for her doctor so we did start really close to on time.  The bronch went as planned.  They got in to her lungs, took some really cool pictures, collected their specimens and got out.  That didn't take long but the PICC was a completely different story.  In case you don't know I will write it all down again.  Meaghan had her first PICC line in February.  It was in her left arm.  Then in March when they admitted her again she got a PICC in her right arm.  They can't put a new PICC in a vessel that was that recently used, it isn't safe.  So this time the nurse was not concerned with which arm to use because Meaghan's body had had sufficient time to heal.  What we couldn't have known is that both of the vessels they used for Meaghan's first and second PICCs had closed or become blocked (in protest I'm sure).  So to place her PICC line yesterday the nurse first tried the right arm, then the left, twice, before she was finally able to get through.  The PICC nurse turned all my hair white with the story of her procedure.  The entire time she was talking I felt like she was only trying to soften the blow.  My imagination was running wild.  I was sure from the way she avoided telling me where she placed Meaghan's PICC that I would hear that she had to shave her head and put it there.  She didn't, it is in her left arm, just a different vessel.  Her IV was in her foot!  Jason and I didn't get to be with Meaghan again until after 10am.  She woke up alright and we were moved to her room by lunch time.  The poor thing was miserable!  All the poking and prodding caused her so much discomfort.  For the better part of the day we just tried to get her settled.  There was a lot of crying, some screaming, tons of anger and she was just Miss Disagreeable until 7pm or so.  Once she was cleaned up she got out of bed to check out this really cool machine in person.  The picture does not do it justice.  There is a tube with water and balls, bubbles and small toys that float up and drift back down.  It hums nicely and then there's the projector show and "spaghetti" lights she can play with too.  She has the power to control the color inside the tube with a remote.  Everyone who came to our room stopped to stare at it a while, it sucks you right in.

Today was a little of the same story.  Lots of waiting, a little less pain and crying.  We did have to do a finger stick this morning and they are always very stressful.  But it was the last one, every other has been checked with blood from her PICC line.  We were able to take her IV out (the one in her foot).  That took a while, removing the ridiculous amounts of tape is a delicate process.  That one had to go.  She could barely stand and walk while it was there and it was painful throughout most of her infusions.  She feels much better now that that one is out.  She's still wearing the sticky pads from the OR monitors, I guess we have time to work on those.  Tomorrow will be quite possibly the best and worst day that we're here.  The best day because it's BINGO day.  The best time to be in the hospital.  The worst because it's time to change the dressing on her PICC line.  I don't know if this is in one of my older posts but OMG, they SUCK!  It takes five people to get it all done.  One of the times we had it done at home Meaghan peed on me!  Right in my lap!  We got through it and somehow we'll get through this one too.

I am really sorry that I left you all hanging.  I had all that going on and I couldn't get the laptop connected to the internet until now.  There were so many doctors in and out of our room between yesterday and today but unfortunately I still don't know much.  We have to wait for labs from blood, lungs and stools.  We're playing around with a dietary plan to get Meaghan back on a regular schedule.  We have to work on respiratory and physical therapy schedules.  We are doing a lot of hurry up and wait.  Meaghan has spent some time working on the things we brought from home (and you).  I really appreciate all of it.  Her mind is busy and her room looks beautiful.

We have to wait and see, but maybe we'll be home on Friday!  No promises.

God Bless.