Sun 21 May 2017 A rough weekend

Miserable for a while

Elise was feeling well on Friday so she came home at school pickup time to stay the 2 nights - as per request from rehab, a gradual home transition.

Well, in hindsite, it was a bad idea after chemo.

After hints of trouble on Friday night, Elise deteriorated on Saturday, complaining of a sore eye. It was swelling up fast.

By the evening we were calling the hospital (one eye was painful, swollen and had closed up). Typically she perked up, she really really didn't want to go back and we held off till Sunday morning to return to hospital. To add to it all we were having trouble in the toilet department as well, so we had no choice.

The hospital ward was waiting for us, snapped into action with eye specialists etc. Apparently, the mix of chemo, steriods and Lupus is a recipe for opportunistic infection. We new this but with regular antibiotics to prevent this (usually pneumonia is the culprit), we weren't expecting anything.

So now Elise is on everything in case - antibiotics, anti-virals etc...no chances taken. She has an ulcer like sore under the eyelid and a damaged cornea, suspected herpes simplex? Unusual, so they being careful. If something spreads, her immune system can't fight it.

That sounds all melodramatic! But then, a high percentage of people with Lupus and chemo used to end up dead due to secondary pneumonia. Hence, the caution.

Amazingly, they said it is OK to go horse riding tomorrow - finally organised another session. Something exciting to look forward to!