SWINE FLU STRIKES AGAIN, BUT THIS TIME WITH PNEUMONIA

Well, I am posting this from the "house upon the hill". Kaidence has been sick since Saturday with fevers, headache, cough and vomiting. I was told that we would not worry too much since she already had swine flu and should not get it again, BUT surprise She has H1N1 AGAIN and Pneumonia. The VRP panel the we had done on Sunday night came back negative for the flu, but then as I was siting in the ER today they informed me that it had been sent away and came back positive.

So kaidence's White count is 22 (not good for the immunosuppressed). Also her kidney numbers were a mess, we are hoping only because of dehydration. Her Prograf level keeps increasing even though we are trying to decrease it (it always increases when kaidence gets sick). She is almost 2 years post transplant and so they like her levels between 5 and 8. Today they were 18. This can also add to the nausea and headaches. I haven't slept since Thursday night and am feeling it a little tonight. Last night was the roughest, I think I worried and prayed for a wet diaper all night. The moment Kaidence would get 10cc's in her tummy, it was back up within a minute. I called cardiology this morning at 5 AM and left a message for the transplant coordinator to call me first thing. I wanted to bring her in for fluids and labs. I am so glad that I did.

We met with a doctor from 'Infectious Disease' that knows Kaidence all to well. He explained that when a immunosuppressed person gets H1N1 they get the initial virus for about 3 days and then it quickly clears, which Kaidence's did. They do well for a awhile and then 2-4 weeks after the initial infection they get sick again. This time usually with a bacteria infection like pneumonia as a secondary infection in addition to the H1N1 symptoms again. They aren't sure if when they get the second round of the H1N1 if the virus is alive or dead. The test only shows that it is positive for the H1N1 DNA. Reports seem to show that those who are immunosuppressed can shed the virus up to 21 days. That is a couple of weeks longer than those with a healthy immune system. We got a good laugh, because for once Kaidence actually did something that followed what they call "a text book case". She is usually writing her own book.

Anyhow, it looks as though I may get to partake of yet another lovely Thanksgiving Dinner here at the hospital. But hey, the Rainbow Cafe throws in free dessert and drink as and added bonus for Thanksgiving.

Tomorrow we will take more labs and hope that her kidney function is recovering and that she can keep things down. She is still very dehydrated this evening. They currently started Tamiflu again as well as two antibiotics for her pneumonia in her left lung.

We are heading to bed and praying that tomorrow brings much improvement.