Day 15

Welcome to the roller coaster ride that is cancer. It is ride involving very extreme highs, followed by very extreme lows. Today is certainly no exception.

You may have noticed in the pictures from last night's blog that I was wearing gloves and a gown. This is because Shane is on contact precautions due to a bug he had last year which was resistant to one type of antibiotics. It means he is on contact precautions for six months to ensure the bug is completely gone.

Today Shane was diagnosed with vancomycin resistant enterococcus (VRE) which is a contagious bug that is resistant to vancomycin - a first line antibiotic used to treat infections. This means that Shane will be on contact precautions for-e-ver. Shane has now become the social outcast of the Haemotology world which is similar to being a smoker in the fresh air revolution. This means that he is not allowed in communal areas on the ward (including tea room), visitors will always have to wear gowns and gloves, he will always have a room to himself (which is not necessarily a bad thing), and he will have to go to a special VRE section of the Day unit. Apparently there has been an outbreak of this bug around the ward.

When in the outside world, this bug doesn't mean anything. It doesn't affect Shane unless it makes its way into his blood and he will need other antibiotics when being treated for infections. However, when you spend so much time in hospital, little luxuries such as the tea room provides a nice break from the monotony of the room and bed. Its nice to sit as a family to enjoy dinner, or to have a snuggle on the lounge and watch TV afterwards. There are visitor restriction on this ward, so only two people can be in Shane's room at any one time. What do we do when Simon, Kerry and I are all here to visit? The truth is, we just quietly break the rules (Shhh!).

In the same day Shane is no longer neutropaenic, he is endeavouring to eat more, his liver and lung functions are fine, skin is even better than yesterday, he's been for a couple of walks, and he's starting to have his meds given as tablets. The doctors have also started discussing their plans to SEND HIM HOME!!!

YEW! xx