Day 50

Benjamin grew raspier through the night, but slept well and woke up in good spirits. We declared it Pajama Friday and spent the morning in bed with The Food Network, some elderberry syrup, and eucalyptus in the diffuser. Mid-morning, he started to feel warm to me, so we started the temperature taking. He’s rocked a steady 99.4-99.5 all day. Nothing to call the hospital about, thank goodness. I truly expected the temperature to rise and almost started packing a hospital bag. Again, I am completely amazed by Benjamin’s body.

All day and night yesterday I thought about what it means to have almost no immunity. Even though the oncologists say viral infections aren’t the real enemy, I can’t imagine they don’t increase a person’s risk of bacterial infections. Benji isn’t coughing often, but when he does it sounds deep, and dry, and painful. I’ve been worrying about things like pneumonia developing if his system can’t adequately fight this. Michael put my mind at ease this morning, reminding me that the weekend antibiotic he gets is given specifically to prevent pneumonia. I am so thankful for his partnership and perspective. He doesn’t need to write every single thing down in a giant binder like I do. He comprehends all of this information on a different level.

Aunt Sarah, Lilye and Lotus played hooky and came down for a day trip today. My niece and nephew are such kind kids. Benjamin was so happy to be with them, and I was (and always am) calmed by my sister’s presence. Not everyone can have a twin who views things through such a similar lens. While cousins enjoyed each other’s company, I took some time to make phone calls, correspond with middle schools, answer emails, and get a little work done. My desk is clean, the hospital bills are organized, and I feel on top of things.

Now, Benjamin is fighting sleep, and is starting to feel worse. His temperature is rising. It’s not quite enough for a phone call, but enough to monitor through the wee hours. Our guys have always fought their colds hardest at night, with higher fevers and worsening symptoms. They bounce back in the morning. That’s what I’m hoping for.

 

4 thoughts on “Day 50

  1. Laura: I can see from this picture how swollen Benji’s face is from his various meds. Of course, it’s scarey that Benji’s immunity is almost nil–but I had that for the 6 months I had chemo and never came down with anything. At that time, I had a cousin who was dying in another city and I decided to go see him before he died rather than go afterwards. My dr. advised against my going to the hospital because I had no immunity, but I went, was very glad I did, and caught nothing.

    Love,
    Sonia

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *