Thursday, May 1, 2014

Morning update.

It's 6:30am, Piper is asleep on the mattress on the floor and Michael and I are sipping coffee from our contraband coffee maker and taking turns holding our little early bird. 

Watts is doing well and seems to feel like more like himself this morning. The night had multiple wake-ups but was overall a MUCH better night than the night before. His fever spiked to 101.4 (not on Tylenol) so cultures were done on him again but a dose of Tylenol helped cool him down enough to go back to sleep. 

Yesterday his first round of blood cultures came back as negative at 24 hrs which is very, very good. The virus panel they ran on him came back as positive for the Corona virus (a very, very common cold) which may or may not be the cause of the fevers. This is the same virus that he had 12 weeks ago when we were hospitalized during Watts' neutropenic days but is most likely a new strand that he picked up in the last couple days. The doctors guessed he probably picked it up in the hospital. Watts will stay on the Ceftazidime (antibiotic) for a few more days just in case "they are missing something."

I am very, very thankful... Michael and I both had some flashbacks to the early, pre-diagnosis days from a year ago during the worst of these fevers and are very thankful that this virus/infection/neutropenic fever seems to be under control. We know that this could have gone in a different direction.

---------------------------

As we near our one year cancer anniversary and are getting close to the start of maintenance, I have been thinking through the future of this blog. I will obviously keep it and post with any medical changes, treatment status, etc but I also am cognizant of not wanting to clog up people's email accounts with a plethora of pictures of my adorable children;) Thoughts? I actually do not really have a clue of who reads these posts other than my family and close friends... 

11 comments:

  1. Please keep posting! I love seeing all of your updates! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Please keep posting! I love seeing your updates and knowing how to pray. The photos help so much and give me joy to see children being children even when times are hard.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love to read your posts!! My small group prays for the Van Patter family every week and I send them updates all the time! Seeing the pictures helps me feel so connected to you all!
    Love you and will continue praying!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hannah and Michael, I've been reading your blog during the whole ordeal. I've shared your struggles with people at my church who have been praying for Watts, and your whole family. Very thoughtful posts throughout.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love your blog. And your beautiful children. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Please keep blogging. It lets your prayer warriors know how to pray. I check it every day. =)

    ReplyDelete
  7. We're reading it and praying in Charlottesville, va. Keep posting!
    Megan and Isaac Wardell

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks everybody for your sweet words of encouragement...

    ReplyDelete
  9. I continue to keep your sweet family in my prayers, and I am thankful you continue to post and share of your life, your journey, your faith, and your family. I share your updates with my women's bible study group in Santa Fe, NM. I encourage you to pray about it, and to share as you feel led. You don't clutter our inboxes. We subscribed because we care about you, and we are keeping you in our prayers. If our inboxes are too full, then if we unsubscribe, we'll simply come directly to your blog to read updates from you. Continuing to keep Watts, you, Michael, and Piper in our prayers, and sending love to each of you.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love reading your posts - it helps me know how to be praying and to keep up with your sweet family. I also have many people praying for Watts and for your whole family. Your faith and honesty through it all has been so inspiring!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Reading and praying in Greenville, SC. Not sure how I ended up here, but your posts are so helpful to know how to pray, and so encouraging.

    ReplyDelete

 
Site Design By Designer Blogs