Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Another picture book post

All is well on the Auckland front... Charlee is recovering well and will be at Ronald McDonald tomorrow morning to finish her healing.  Logan is bouncing along.  He has become somewhat red faced from the enormous amount of marrow she gave him (1100mls), and consequently, they are giving him a tiny dose of Methatrixate to counteract the lymphocyte cells that will be in her blood.  They dont want any graft vs host disease (GVHD) for about a fortnight.  Logan has been slightly unwell, with the inability to keep food from going through his body at the speed of light. For this reason we are in isolation, but it is a small price to pay.


Anyway, enjoy the pics and the little comments that go with them... Hello to our Canteen supporter up here (Italia) who has been making sure that both Logan and Charlee are kept busy and happy.

Nana and Grandad visiting from Te Awamutu

Logan tucks into a pie



Tracy's sister Carolyn at Stage 2 of her cut for Canteen



Carolyn and her supporters celebrate her new baldness

Hooray!

Sisters... Carolyn and big sister Tracy

The Westpac helicopter lands outside our window day and night

Logan and Charlee the day before... both bearing their 'plugs'

Logan met up with Aunty Carolyn at an impromptu outing when the doc gave us leave the day before the transplant due to Logan's good health

Logan looking out at St Heliers Bay beach... He has missed swimming at the beach so much this past year

Rangitoto in the background is on the plans for conquering when Logan is well

Evan and Aunty Carolyn relaxing at St Heliers Bay


With time still up our sleeves, we visited the local museum, which had changed since we were last there.  Logan and Evan are enjoying the sea creatures exhibition

The war planes kept them both intrigued whilst I took photo's and went looking for something more calming


The quaint village was more my style... though I couldn't find an open pub anywhere


Logan looks wistfully out of the Ronald McDonald family car, that we had borrowed, knowing that this would be his last outing into the fresh air for quite some time.

Charlee and Dan set up Logan's 'Make a Wish' computer in his room and he got straight to it that night... Ironically, the room that we were about to be moved into, had no desk!

Aunty Carolyn made this for Logan and gave it to him on the beach

Logan and Canteen Support Person, Italia, see each other most days... On this day, Logan had been given phenergan and was getting ready to sleep, in preparation for his transplant

Logan... out for the count on phenergan! A cheap drunk!

The bone marrow arrived. It was taken from Charlee over a 2 hour period and put straight into a plastic container, then delivered to the blood bank.  They phoned the ward who collected it immediately and brought it up.  The nurse checked it and set it up to drip into Logan's hickman line... it was still warm.

The bone marrow... in all its glory

The upside down label which had Logan's name correct, but Charlee's spelt wrong!

Logan still sleeping as his sisters life blood flowed into him




Logan's blood pressure became worryingly high and had to be closely monitored

Choppers continued to come and go... just another ordinary day on the helipad




Logan wakes and puts on a taonga that Charlee, Dan and Glen got for him


Charlee, a couple of hours after surgery... eyes still blurry and mouth still dry, but her first words were to ask about her brother

Dan took turns with Evan to sit with Charlee and make sure she always felt safe and well

Emma, a family friend and trainee doctor in Auckland came to visit and learn

Transplant Day 1 (the day after), Charlee arrives with Daddy to say hi... and as we are in isolation, she had to be gowned up

Looking beautiful even after surgery...


The wounds left on Charlee's back... she has 2 punctures on each side and one in the middle... they removed 1100mls of bone marrow and Logan received every drop

Sometimes... there are no words...

Helen and Geoff came and visited today from Hamilton, to find us in our new room (17)... lovely to have visitors... Uncle Dean and Aunty Nikki came too, but as children are not allowed in the oncology wards anymore, Charlee had to meet with them out in the lounge/corridor area, and Uncle Dean came alone to see Logan... Later, however, Logan SKYPE'ed them...


Hope this has helped you all to get a better idea of things here... were are we looked after by the staff, but miss all of our family and friends down there... Logan especially misses his mates, most of whom are too young to visit due to the restrictions in place...

Pictures and cards that have been sent, now adorn the walls, as do the Canteen balloons...

Love to all,
Will chat again tomorrow...

Oh... You can now SKYPE us if you search for my name... and I happen to be online, or you can text and we can make it so, as now, thanks to Canteen, we have internet!

MWAH!

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