Well, crud. We are in the PICU again. Little Miss Gwendolyn had to have a blood transfusion. I know — What the heck! Over the last week Gwendolyn has been really pale and so her doctors wanted to check her red blood count. Well, yesterday her hemoglobin came back a 5. Now all of this is new to us, but apparently 5 is crazy-oh-my-gosh-whoa because Team Gwendolyn went into full effect with that report. The thinking is she had a reaction to the antibiotic she was on. And even though she has been off of it for a week and her body is working really hard, she needed a bit of help to boost her back up to normal range.
Now, just getting blood from Gwendolyn is a challenge. I think getting blood from a stone would be easier. So just having the lab work done was difficult and then having to have it all redone to double check and then having to have a central line put in for the transfusion really chapped Gwendolyn's hide royally. She did think getting “Super Girl” blood was kind of cool, but only if it didn't involve needles.
We know it is an absolutely crazy reality to say we are taking this as hopeful news. We are hoping that with a more normal blood count Miss G will finally get her energy back, will have a lower heart rate, and won't have to work so hard just to enjoy herself. So, while this isn't a great thing, our outlook is that perhaps the many different pieces of this summer's puzzle are finally being solved. We are really, really, really hoping this is the case.
We expect to be home today after the latest lab results come in and show that her “Super Girl” blood is in full effect. We have already seen some improvements in her heart rate. YAY! This morning Gwendolyn is busy playing with Bull's Eye, her robot, and her new mood ring, while eyeing everyone who comes in very suspiciously. Being almost four has made Gwendolyn a bit less forgiving of being poked and prodded, but we understand. So it was important to tell her, “We want you to know that we would not let any of this happen if we didn't think it would help you” to which she looked at us, studied our faces, and then rolled her eyes up to say, “Yes, I understand” followed by her “I love you” sound. She is simply amazing and a true Super Girl in our eyes.