The Triple Threat.

I am sure this actually happens a lot – but it was something that I really didn’t think was THAT possible….at least not in my child. But then again, this IS Kendall we are talking about.

And by this I mean: She has a bacterial, a viral AND a fungal infection, all at the same time. a true triple threat.

She is positive for influenza (viral), but on top of that, she also has bacteria (some unpronouncable gram-positive bad guy) and yeast (very very stubborn very bad bad guy) hanging out in her blood. At first we thought they were just hanging out in her port. But then they decided to procreate and set up a party in her whole body. she is just all sorts of a hot mess right about now.

Ben has been with her for the better part of the last two days. During those two days by all accounts, she has been doing serious battle against these invaders by burning at an average temp of 103 degrees. Considering that earlier this week her core temp was 95 degrees, you can see how hard her body is working to wage war on the bad guys. She spent the nite packed in cold towels and ice packs (which i hear she just LOVED! 😉 ), and then this afternoon getting double doses of tylenol shoved into, well…you know. the place where you put tylenol when its not being absorbed from above…Four little tylenol bullets, every two hours….brutal.

So tonite she was sent down to the OR (operating room) to have her port removed. Exactly one month after she had it placed. Nobody was very happy about having to take it out. Especially not the surgeon who was pretty livid when he heard that a large part of why we think she is having problems is because of all the idiocy surrounding her too big needles. He IMMEDIATELY started dictating a note to some poor soul essentially telling them that they should either start helping the children they are hired to help, or find a new job…seriously – I have no idea who he is writing a letter to, but I don’t think it’s going to be a happy pat on the back kind of letter. I believe we will also be receiving a pretty hefty supply of ANYTHING we need for better port access prior to going home!

we had an AMAZING team in the OR. Even the residents. Who i did not even want to kick once. (be proud!)  Truly felt like we were leaving our baby in the best hands possible, which is always a comforting feeling when they are sticking a tube down her throat and ripping one out of her chest. For all of the ups and downs and questions of the past few days, these folks made it really worth it. I felt heard and validated and like someone is finally “getting it”, that we don’t get to just bask in Kendall’s cuteness, we have to actually deal with all the medical complexities every.day.of.her.life.  I do feel kind of sorry for the amazing anesthesiologist who was so convinced that the meds she gave to kendall would buy us a few hours of sleep – only to find that kendall was waking up FAR too soon, and with a lot of vengeance too!

I should wrap this up since Ben and I are having to take turns standing at her bedside and calming her back down when she wakes up raging at the pain or the fever. It has been a very long few days, and i have a feeling we are in for quite a few more like it.

To everyone who came out to the Kendall Quinn Medical Fund Benefit last nite (or the KQMFB as our awesome emcee put it!), thank you. I hope you know that even though those words seem so small and inadequate, they hold the enormity of all that that entire nite meant to our family. I want to do its own special post for this awesome nite, so that is all I am going to say about that right now. To everyone who helped put on the KQMFB – thank you is FAR too trite. I would have to borrow a plane and write it in the sky to even begin to come close to capturing how very very thankful I am for each and every one of you absolutely amazing folks.

And to all of you who are reading this post and praying, thank you.

Kendall is in a pretty big fight right now, and it is a horrible feeling to stand by and watch her, and not be able in any way to take some of that pain away from her, to do some of the fighting for her, or better yet, ALL of the fighting for her. It is against every fiber of my mommy being to not be able to DO anything to help her. Except advocate for all the support I can for her. So that is what we do. We push for more tylenol and we tell them to start the oxygen and we ask them for more pain meds and zofran and we run our hands over her burning little forehead and we pray for her. We pray that dear Jesus who can heal a blind man will heal our baby girl of the sicknesses she is fighting tonight. We pray that He would scoop her in His arms, and cradle her close, and give her His rest. We stand and we pray and we beg and we plead because that is all that we can do right now. And we pray knowing that we believe in a God who hears us, and listens and is faithful.

“This is my anthem, this is my song

the theme of the stories I’ve heard for so long.

God has been faithful, He will be again –

His lovingkindness knows no end.

All i have need of – His hand will provide –

He’s always been faithful to me.”

-Sara Groves, He’s Always Been Faithful

 

Sleep little baby Kendall. Sleep and restore your energy. Sleep so you can fight, little fighter. Mommy’s got your boxing gloves all ready – we just need you to be strong enough to start fighting. Everybody’s praying for you – cause we all love you. Just rest now. Jesus is with you.

love you~

mommy.