Bacterial Infection / Hospital Admission

After complaining of a headache on Friday night, and waking up in rough shape Saturday morning (vomiting, chills, leg and stomach pain, high fever) we visited the Williamson Medical Center ER, which is only 2 miles from our home. They quickly ran nose/throat swabs and urine/blood tests, but nothing showed up on those initial results, so we were sent home on an antibiotic as a precautionary measure.

Overnight in the hospital lab, a bacteria rapidly grew in the blood culture they took at Williamson, so they called us Sunday morning to report that occurrence, and asked us to go to the Vanderbilt ER ASAP.

After a visit with the doctors, and some more testing, Caroline was admitted to Vanderbilt Floor 6A today for an infection in her bloodstream. We aren't sure how or when she contracted it, but it can be very dangerous for someone with a (still) suppressed immune system.

She has already started a different IV antibiotic that she will receive twice a day while inpatient, and then hopefully move to oral antibiotics later this week. Caroline is already feeling and looking better than she did yesterday, so we are glad both Williamson and Vanderbilt were aggressive and persistent with their testing, follow-up and diagnosis.

We will update the blog as she progresses but we are hoping this is a short 2 day stay.

We appreciate all of the prayers and support! Things can always be worse, so we try and put all of these setbacks in perspective even though it’s frustrating and inconvenient to a “normal” life that we want for her, and the family plans we had for the weekend!

Always Fighting,
The Lantz Family
#carolinestrong
#ftgf

Home...again...

Caroline has been able to remain fever-free for 24 hours, and her blood cultures showed no growth for anything specific, so she was able to be discharged today.  The IV antibiotics for 48 hours helped significantly, and we are all glad to be together, home, and hopefully able to catch up on rest!

Thanks for you for always keeping us in your prayers,
The Lantz Family
#carolinestrong
#ftgf

Good luck tonight, Preds!

Admitted to Vandy for High Fever

After an unplanned visit to the outpatient clinic at Vanderbilt yesterday for high fever (103.7), we found ourselves back there again today.  Caroline's fever failed to break overnight, after 24 hours of Tylenol, and she was looking/feeling worse this morning, so we returned to clinic today for more tests.  After consulting with her medical team, and based on her risk factors, they decided that she needed to be admitted for at least 48 hours.  So far, they have tested for (and ruled out) the flu and strep, but they proactively put her on an IV antibiotic.  They will monitor her counts and fever over the next couple of days, and we are hoping that she can improve quickly and get home for the weekend!  Although this isn't really where we want to be, with her compromised immune system, it is better to play it safe than sorry, and make sure she isn't at risk of seizure or other issues that can accompany a high fever and virus.

So, tonight, we will spend another night eating dinner together as a family, on a plastic couch in a hospital room on 6A.  There really are no routine or easy days for us right now (Dad, Mom & C), and we know how hard this must be on Andrew.  We hate that he has to go through all the back and forth and uncertainty that has become our lives.  We hope he one day understands...and maybe one day we will understand all of this, too.

We will keep the blog updated as things progress this week.

Thanks for hanging in there with us along the long, long way.

The Lantz Family

#carolinestrong

#ftgf

Difficult Week

Caroline has struggled to recover this week from Round 1 of inpatient Immunotherapy, and has been back and forth to Vanderbilt for fever and check-ups 3 times since discharge on Saturday.  The fever, lack of appetite, and stomach pain symptoms are mostly likely side effects from the latest treatment, but we are awaiting test results that will show if she is also suffering from a stomach virus (which is apparently going around the hospital).  She certainly isn't her normal, energetic self right now, and has lost a few pounds over the last few weeks, but we are hoping she is starting to turn the corner.

We were told by our nurse case manager today that the treatment protocol for High-Risk Neuroblastoma is by far one of the hardest on both the patient and the family, and we can certainly attest to that!  We are approaching the one year mark of Caroline's diagnosis, and our whole family is just mentally and physically exhausted; honestly, we are very "over" this process.  But, we won't quit, we won't slow down, and we will continue to remind ourselves that this schedule and strain on our family is temporary.  If Caroline can endure the actual treatment, we can certainly keep forging ahead at full-steam...even on the days we feel like we have nothing left.

As of now, we are scheduled to go back into the hospital for Round 2 of inpatient Immunotherapy on Monday, 11/19.  We will be in the hospital for Thanksgiving week, and will likely be there for 12-14 nights, with a possible 1-2 day break in the middle (but based on Caroline's recovery from this first round, we aren't counting on the break).

The pictures we decided to share this week show part of her current daily/weekly routine, which includes: many oral doses of liquid medication, a shot in her arm, double-lumen Hickman line flushes, a sterile central line dressing and clave changes, and most challenging of all, 4 oral pills she has to swallow (which can take her 1-2 hours per day to get down!!!). Caroline has been a super-strong trooper over the last year, but it's apparent that even she, too, is getting tired of this grueling routine.  She misses her friends, and wants to be a normal kid doing "normal" kid things; she's starting to notice what she's "missing out on" more and more.

We would like to say THANK YOU to all of our friends and family that have stuck with us throughout.  We are aware that everyone has their own lives, and problems to deal with, so we appreciate that continued outreach and support!  Much love!!!

The Lantz Family
#carolinestrong
#ftgf

ICU

Caroline was moved to the ICU last night for very low blood pressure and oxygen numbers.  Her body is having a tough time fighting off multiple viral and bacterial infections.  She has a fever and pain all over her body, but mostly is complaining about her back, legs and stomach (probably from infections and counts recovering).  She is not allowed to eat or drink until her she is no longer on IV blood pressure medication (Norepinephrine). She is currently stable but not very comfortable.

We will keep everyone updated on this blog as we get more information.  Thank you in advance for the continued prayers and positive thoughts!

Team Lantz

#carolinestrong

#ftgf

Back in Hospital / No call yet from Cincinnati Children's

Caroline was admitted back into Vanderbilt this afternoon for fever, extreme nausea and pain (back, belly, legs).  They will run some tests this evening to try and determine the causes of these symptoms.  Additionally, we are still awaiting an initial call from Cincinnati Children's to discuss the planning and timing of the upcoming Proton Radiation treatment.

We will keep the blog updated as information comes in regarding both this admission, and plans for radiation treatment in Cincinnati.

Thankful for any and all prayers,
Lantz Family
#carolinestrong
#ftgf