March 31, 2006

We are still recovering and resting in PICU today. There has been talk since late Wednesday night after Leah's surgery of transferring us to her regular floor. However, we are happy to stay here since Leah is in pain and not needing the normal hustle and bustle she usually enjoys. Today has been much like yesterday. The many different doctors have rounded and examined her. We have had several short naps. They decided this morning to turn up the amount of medicine she is getting via her spinal catheter which has greatly reduced the morphine she gets through her port. In fact, she has not had a dose in that manner since 1 PM and has yet to ask for more. Yesterday she was asking for more medicine almost hourly. The drugs she is getting through her spinal catheter are making her more loopy and confused, but the nurses feel that perhaps she is finally caught up in her pain management and we can turn things down tomorrow. We still have many tubes that cannot be removed, but this afternoon she was able to have three different arterial IVs taken out. This has made her a bit more comfortable and it has been easier for her to move her arms around. She has run a low grade fever on and off which all the doctors feel is related to her surgery and not uncommon. She has watched The Brady Bunch while dozing on and off and had Aunt Suzanne read her several books. She seems to be crabbier and more demanding today which we also think must mean she feels a bit better because we are having to fight with her more. At one point she was quite insistent about having a sugar cookie which Dr. Lawrence vetoed. She is on a liquid diet right now and likes none of the items on the menu. Despite all our reasoning, cajoling and bribing she is holding out for some food she likes.

Please continue to pray for a speedy recovery without complications as well as the continued effectiveness of chemotherapy and surgery on her eventual remission.