More Antibiotics and More Time Inside

You can probably guess from the title of this post that Leo is still in hospital and may well be for another 7 days or so. His chest is getting worse with the redness growing wider around his Hickmann line and further up his chest. The doctors are concerned the infection has taken hold inside the line or up the transit of the line which is dangerous as the line finishes near his heart and so we don't want the infection growing up the line and near his heart.

So we're monitoring and changing his IV antibiotics which we hope will help, but I do think Leo is going to go mad being in hospital for another 7 days. He's generally okay in himself, although his appetite has not improved and his moods change very easily because he's not quite feeling right but also not quite feeling unwell enough to be lying in bed all day. We can also tell his chest hurts as he still won't let either myself or PJ to lift him up under his arms. He always says "under my bum please," when we lift him up!

We have had some laughs today though, for example when Leo asked where daddy was, I answered he'd gone for a lie down because he was tired. Leo replied "Oh man!!!" in the most hilarious American accent. The nurse and I could not stop laughing. But then minutes later, his mood changed again when he realised PJ had actually gone out to buy some lunch. He's certainly very talented at kicking and his punching abilities have real strength and determination behind them. Sticker charts and rewarding his good behaviour is only doing so much at the moment and so the angry mood swings, whilst understandable, are very tricky to deal with.

It may be that we'll need to take advice from the child psychologist at the hospital, not necessarily to prevent the angry moments but what to do to try to help Leo deal with his feelings. He's three years of age so of course he's going to be unhappy at times, especially when he has to be at the hospital all day, every day and all night. But perhaps if we learn a few tricks on how to help him at this time, it may make him feel less anxious and therefore decrease the times he kicks out. It so goes against his nature to be like this and so it's even more heart-breaking to see him unhappy.

The ward Leo is on at the Bristol Children's Hospital is lovely and only one year old, plus there's a fabulous playground which Leo and other cancer patients can use in the afternoons. With the weather so pleasant right now here in the UK, he can run around outside to his heart's content but his energy levels are still quite high by the end of the day. He has also spent lots of time watching DVDs and the Top Three this week includes Monsters, Inc., The Simpson's Movie (where Leo joins in with 'Spider-pig, Spider-pig...) and also Cars.

So we'll see what tomorrow brings but I think it will be more of the same and let's hope the infection starts to go soon. We need Leo to be well enough to have chemo on Friday and then full IVA chemotherapy which means another hospital stay for 48 hours plus the following weekend. It's crucial his treatment is done on time in order to maximise the effects of the protocol so fingers crossed....and everything else as well.