Valentine's Day Up On The Hill.....

That would be at "The Hotel on the Hill", our nick name for Mason's second home, Primary Children's Medical Center. Yes, that's right, I didn't even post that we had gone home on January 18 from our last stay and now we are back again! Maybe, I jinxed us! I'll be sure to post sooner next time! 

So why are we spending Valentines up on the hill??? Mason just wanted to be admitted for his monthly visit. Well at least that's what it seems like! So, Mason started having fevers on and off since last Thursday (after 3 weeks home of no fevers, feeling much better, but still a lingering junky cough). I asked the transplant team to order blood work on Tuesday morning (2 days ago) concerned about the fevers and the fact that Mason had been telling me "Mommy, I don't feel good" for a few days. 

Wednesday,(yesterday) I got a call with results that his blood cultures were growing a bacteria (a gram negative very rare bacteria with a name I can't even begin to spell), so I was told to bring Mason ASAP into the ER at Primary's. Wow, felt like deja vu from last month! Bacteria in the blood is nothing to mess around with. The good news is he isn't acting sick really. The doctors started him on IV antibiotics right away after arriving to the ER. Then he was admitted up to the 3rd floor.

The assumption is that the bacteria may be in his new central line (the port-a-cath) he had placed last month. As of right now the consensus of the infectious disease docs, the transplant team, and the general pediatricians team is that with the type of bacteria that has grown it can be treated with a 14 day course of IV antibiotics without the need to take out the port. Hooray! I really did not want to hear that we'd have to take it out already!! Ports can be left in for 3-5 years if needed.

Mason hasn't had any more fevers since starting the IV antibiotics which will get us home sooner for sure. And we will also be able to finish the course of IV antibiotics at home. I believe the docs just want to make sure yesterdays and today's blood cultures (they drew new ones both days) don't grow out any more bacteria before we go home.... so hopefully we'll checkout of the Hotel this weekend!

While we are here we are also trying figure out Mason's cough. He's had it for about 2 months! Last month he was treated for pneumonia while he had the para influenza and the PICC line infection, but the docs and I are wondering if maybe it just never completely cleared up. The IV antibiotics he's on right now for the positive blood culture should help treat it as well, but they also did a test tonight to find out if he has 'walking pneumonia' which would need a different type of antibiotic. We should get the results for that tomorrow. 

Mason was dressed up at home as a fire fighter

before we got the call to come into Primary's and

there was no way he would change his clothes to 

come in. This is him in the ER. What a character!

Happy Valentine's Day and Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Week as well! 

I saw this quote today and wanted to share it:

 "You'll be surprised to know how far you can go from

 the point where you thought it was the end."

~unknown