Saturday 5th March 2011

I'm afraid yesterday Luke hit a very low spot. His temperatures through the day were consistently in the high 38's - 39 degree. They kept various antibiotics up to him and panadol seemed to bring things back down to low 38's. However at 3.30pm Luke started to get prepared to have his central line out . His temperature started climbing into the high 39's and 40's. He had been complaining of chills and shaking and as the operation proceeded under local anesthetic his body started to shut down. One of the nurses notices his nails had gone purple and checked his feet. There was a made rush to get his feet and body covered in warmed blankets - his temperature spiked at 40.9 degrees. In the process of all of this he had to vomit. The central line operation continued however it was buried in his chest a lot deeper than the doctor was expecting. It was about 2cm down so what should have been a relatively simple procedure turned out to take about 2 hours with all the dramas.
Needless to say I was a wreck when his temp rose so high and he was shaking away. I said to Murray that I'd have to rate this as my 3rd worse day. The 1st was when Luke was diagnosed with leukaemia / the 2nd when the central line failed to go in the first time and they hit an artery and now this. Poor Murray felt helpless being stuck at home with a cold and unable to come in and see us.

There was a chance Luke was going to be taken to Intensive Care so that he could be monitored constantly however it was decided that as his temp was starting to decline they would leave him be but if it climbed again they would come and get him.
I stayed overnight with Luke as his temps were still in the high 39's, by around 2am they came down to 38's and by 4am he was back to a normal 37.2.He was getting interrupted every half hour - hour with his temp getting checked and doctors coming in constantly to check on him. I have just come home quickly to have a shower and freshen up and about to head back in to the hospital. Luke is very very stiff and sore all over - he's had 6 cannulas or attempts at putting cannulas into his hands/wrist and elbow so he is finding it hard to sit up and hold anything in his hands.
I'm sure he is over the worst of it and we have been told that he will need to have a 24 hours period without any fevers and then have 24 hours on oral antibiotics before he can come home. So I dare say it will be at least Monday till he can come home. I'll update after that.