Round 4

We got the boot from Hotel SCH late Saturday night from our third round of chemo. Pro tip: if you want the discharge process to be as quick as possible, wait until 11pm! You're welcome.

We spent a few nights in our own beds before being admitted again Tuesday morning for Round 4. This time we were running it back to the very beginning: doxorubicin & cisplatin. While we were anxious about how this combo would go the second time around, we were holding onto hope that there would be some improvement. After all, Charlotte wasn't contending with the unknown, her port placement OR an additional biopsy. Straight chemo - EASY!

Things were looking up that first day. We got lots of movement in, found all the hidden animals for the scavenger hunt, and even worked on a puzzle! There was also great success in eating and drinking. I can't remember feeling so grateful for every bite of food or sip of water. We are trying to hold off on an NG tube as long as possible, entirely if we can swing it.

Our night nurse while we stayed, Crystal, was awesome. Most everyone has been, but she seemed especially mindful & efficient! She would time vitals with medication, meaning she wasn't coming in every hour. Dare I say we felt rested?! We later learned from Crystal that she herself was an SCH patient when she was 4 years old - she had leukemia. I can only hope that tidbit provided some comfort and reassurance to Charlotte. It did for me!

The effects of these chemo meds still hit pretty hard. Charlotte was fatigued and nauseous most of the day Wednesday, enough that we held off on group school and moving around the unit. Her 2nd medal will have to wait for a future admission! She was able to eat a full dinner, which was more than we could say for that first visit a month or so ago. (Also, how has it only been 5ish weeks since her port was placed? I feel like I've lived 5 years.)

Thankfully we weren't dependent on reaching a certain level in order to leave the hospital. Once her fluids ran for 12-hours after the cisplatin, we were good to go. We've been back home for a few hours now and have a welcome break from inpatient life. We'll go back for labs and general check-ins, but chemo is on hold for a couple of weeks. Our job now is to keep up with anti-nausea regimen, along with hydration. While it's still completely overwhelming, we feel more prepared for it this time.