Things not going quite to plan...

WEDNESDAY 26th OCTOBER:

Today, we had planned to go to the National Seal Sanctuary. We got up nice and early, had a lovely full English breakfast (Mummy cooked full English breakfasts for 8 people!!) and got ready to go out. We had to go to the hospital, first - Joni-Mai needed another G-CSF jab to help her blood. We arrived at the hospital slightly later than on previous days and had a slight wait. We didn't get out of the hospital until quite late and had to get some groceries on our way back to the house (to collect Sam, Lauren and Sophie). By the time we had reached the house, it was quite late in the afternoon and therefor was too late to go to the seal sanctuary. Instead we went to the beach and played in the sand for a while. Joni-Mai and Daisy wore their new welly boots, Uncle Sam jumped into the sea fully clothed and Mummy and Gramma got caught out by a wave that came in faster and further than they had anticipated. We all had a lovely time but had to cut our trip short because the tide decided it was time to come in. Joni-Mai thoroughly enjoyed her time out on the sand and did not want to go back so soon. Daddy suggested that perhaps we go to Mousehole (we've wanted to go there for a very long time) and when Grandad suggested we go out for dinner "Mousehole for chips" was the suggestion that won the vote.

A wonderful evening was had by all but when we reached the house, it all started to go a bit wibbly-wobbly... As part of her post-chemo care, we are meant to monitor Joni-Mai's temperature very closely, we take her temperature as often as we can as a temperature could mean infection, which - after chemotherapy - could be very dangerous because of the lack of white blood cells. Unfortunately, her temperature was above 38 (deg. C) which is too high. We stripped her off but it was still too high for someone who was neutropenic (basically an extremely low neutrophil count). After a telephone call to the hospital, Joni-Mai was to be taken in and admitted for monitoring and possibly for antibiotics.

Our little princess was confirmed to have an infection and had to stay in for a course of antibiotics, IV antibiotics and oral antibiotics. More blood samples were taken - including some extra for blood cultures to see if she had an infection within her PICC line. She was to stay for at least 48 hours, something we had not anticipated for the week of her holiday.