Expect the Unexpected

At Canuck Place we were given the advice to ‘expect the unexpected’.  At the time we didn’t quite know what that meant.  Today we got a lesson in Expect the Unexpected 101.   Bernadette was scheduled for a blood transfusion but when they took her temperature it was 102 degrees F.  During the night it got up to 103.5.    They couldn’t give her the transfusion as long as she had a fever.  Instead they took blood to see if they could find out what was going on.  Her white blood count was up to 17 indicating that she was fighting an infection somewhere in her body but they couldn’t figure out where.  In the afternoon Bernadette’s fever spiked to over 104 according to one of the nurses.  I kind of guessed it was going up instead of down when she started sweating and her hair was soaked.

Having been up all night, all Bernadette wanted to do was go home and sleep.  Later in the afternoon Marc ran into our pastor, Fr. George, by chance in the halls and Father came and gave Bernadette the Sacrament of the Sick.  Naturally she didn’t respond overly well but she eventually cooperated.   Even at her lowest she can still give poor Fr. George a rough time.   Some things just never change.  Sorry, Fr. George.

Right now Bernadette is still in the hospital in Salmon Arm.  Marc is staying with her tonight.  They’re going to watch her fever closely all night and hopefully if in the morning things have greatly improved due to the Anointing of the Sick (and the antibiotics) then they’ll do the transfusion in the morning.  She’ll also receive a second dose of IV antibiotics.   Between the Anointing, antibiotics, and transfusion, we should have her back in great shape for Joseph’s visit home for Christmas.  Until last week she was extremely excited about seeing big brother again.  Hopefully she’ll be feeling well enough that the excitement will return.  Step aside Santa, here comes Joseph!