Tuesday 1st March saw us back to St Georges for blood transfusion #7.
we chose to go to st georges because it had taken so many attempts to get the cannula in last time and the ward at st georges is a surgical ward, it's purely to prepare for surgery or for I.vs or transfusions. So they're putting cannulas in all day long. Plus they have a ultra sound scanner they can use to see the veins if necessary.
We arrived at 10AM, they were really busy and it took ages to get round to putting her cannula in. We decided not to use the numbing cream because it makes the skin puffy and red which can make it even harder to see the veins, plus it normally takes so many attempts that they end up having to try places that haven't got any cream on by which time she is really upset and in pain any way!
It took just 2 attempts this time, one in the crook of each arm. She couldn't see any decent veins at all and just went by feel! They didn't need to use the ultra sound machine.
It was now midday so we went off to get some lunch while they tested her blood and got the new blood.
So it was a 3 wks exactly since her last transfusion, I can't remember exactly but I think last time it was 3.5 wks and her HB was 7.6?? Anyway this time it was 8.7 her retic count was 6 (last time it was 20 something) so she had lasted pretty well this time and was just perfect for a transfusion.... We want to keep her above 9. Also this time they did a ferratin level(this measures the level of iron in her blood) Dr Pelidis said that iron chelation would probably have to be started after about 10 transfusions.
So we re given a copy of the the pathology report this time, which was great because it also had this ferratin level thingy, however, I bloody well managed to loose it!! Ggggrrr (not once but twice! I'll get to how a bit later)
Her ferratin level should be between 6-140 and hers is now 367, I don't know how that measures in terms of how many transfusions shes had.
It took FOREVER for them to get the blood and the transfusion didn't even start until 5pm!! Bloody nightmare. And to make it worse Reagan had a bed, not a cot, so she could fall out! And the wast is made up of 12 beds with very basic chairs! At least at Frimley park we get a side room and more comfy chairs!!! plus the ward at frimley is so much bigger so ww can walk her up and down and change the scenery a bit.
This time she was having 120mls of blood, she should only have 100mls but because she hasn't been lasting very long and Dr Pelidis would rather she had a bit more time between transfusions it was decided to give a bit more. The risk of this is a strain on her heart but she was fine, of course she is monitored throughout and if anything was to seem wrong they would stop.
About 30 mins before the blood was finished (which takes 3 hrs to go through) i noticed a red pin prick type rash coming up on here face, then her arm (not the one with the cannula in) on the back of her neck. Eventually a few on her leg and nappy area. Also on the same arm she had some purple spots and some really tiny, what looked like, blood spots.
Just as the nurse was doing the final OBs on her i said about it and she decided to contact a doctor to check her over, just incase.
It was now 8.15pm and the ward is meant to close at 8pm. The Dr said she would about 45 mins. 1.5 hrs later she came and said that she wasn't at all worried about the red rash but was slightly concerned about the purple one. It didn't blanch (disappear when pressed) which is always a worry. She was completely fine in hself, no temp or anything, smiling the lot (despite being so absolutely exhausted due to it being 9.30pm now, and i had kept her awake, thinking the dr would be there by 8.45)
So it was decided that we would stay in over night for them to observe her to be sure.
Needless to say, she ws comp,eatery fine. It was caused,we think, by the tournequay being a little too tight when trying to insert the cannula, causing lots of small bruises and just as they looked, blood spots.
This was pretty much confirmed a few days later when the purple spots went brown!!!!
When We were taken from the day ward up to the paediatric ward they used my copy of the pathology report to hand over, that was how i lost it the first time! But I managed to get them to print me another one off.
We eventually got home at 1pm, we hadn't brushed our teeth or washed or anything since the morning before!! Nice!!
So......... We went to st georges thinking it would be better than frimley!!.........hhhhmmmm! Well it was easier on reagan though! However that might be h last transfusion..........
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