"One tough cookie"

Yesterday I learned that:

• Life is very precious.  Take advantaged of every moment you have to enjoy it and create good memories-you don't want to regret what you did or didn't do.
• Things can change in an instant, don't take anything for granted.
• Heavenly Father loves each of us individually and knows what we can handle and need to have happen to learn life's lessons.
• The nurses and doctors here at PCMC are amazing at what they do.
• Cancer still really SUCKS.
• Odette is a miracle.  She is one tough spirit that is a fighter! 

I guess that yesterday's post about infections was a little bit premature.  In the past, that is always how it had worked with infections.  Draw blood, start antibiotics, happy girl, go home and finish antibiotics.  However, my eyes were opened (big and wide) yesterday as I watched a nightmare unfold before my eyes.

Odette had gone down for her usual nap, so I was having "my time" reading, typing on the blog and staring at the wall, when I heard Odette grunting and breathing unusual.  I figured that she was just pooping-again-and I didn't want her to get a butt rash with all her chemo so I got up to change her.  (She does sleep through diaper changes-so nice!)  However, she was shaking uncontrolably-the nurses call it rigors-her skin was looking funny-marbled- her oxygen level dropped to 50 percent and her heartrate had soared to about 240.  (Normal heart rate for her is 120 to 160)  Of course I was paniking, but I did manage to push the nurse button and get out the words "she is shaking".  The nurse was completely calm as he called for the Doctors, got medicines, wrapped Odette in a warm blanket, hooked her up to oxygen and began taking blood pressures.  At this point, the room was swarming with people and my heart was racing.  I didn't really even notice the puke all over me and the floor.  I said a prayer and then a miracle happened-Odette calmed down and things started to return to normal.  Odette stopped shaking, started sucking her thumb and went back to sleep.

Later on a nurse and doctor came in to explain what had happened.  They had changed the antibiotic they were treating Odette's infection with and it was the right one.  It had actually broke down the bacteria and Odette had experienced a "toxin spray" from all the bacteria.  When this happens, her blood is toxic and so the body tries to protect its main organs and all the blood goes to the heart and brain causing everything that we saw.  Here is where the miracle happened.  Usually boluses of fluids are needed to help stabilize and help compensate for the blood being taken out of the extremities and since cancer kids don't have lots of abilities to "fix" things wrong in their body they end up in the PICU getting fluids and fighting for their life.  Odette didn't need any fluid and her body "fixed" the problem by itself.  Proof that Odette is "one tough cookie"!!