Happy 2013!

Saturday, we had been watching the NFL
playoff games.  We ended up in a pretty nice
room for an ER and got to watch the rest. :)

Just a quick update. Valerie has been experiencing tinnitus (hears her heart beat loudly in her ears), and feeling fatigued and out of breath easily for the past several weeks.  She wasn't due for a blood draw until this week, but when the doctor heard her symptoms he advised her to get her blood drawn last week. She got it drawn Friday.

Saturday afternoon (Jan.12th) at 3:30pm, the on-call oncologist called and advised her to go to the ER because her hemoglobin was super low.  So we packed (in case they admited her) and headed to the hospital.

The last time Valerie was called and told to go to the ER (July 2011), she ended up being admitted and kept for about 7 days.  That was a really difficult time.  So as we drove, we talked about all the things that are better now than then - she's eating much better, she's much stronger, she's not in the pain she was in then, etc.

Because of her symptoms, they put this bracelet
on Valerie at the hospital.  All day Sunday, she
kept joking about being a fall risk, and that
turned into, "Honey can you get me a glass
of water?  Because you know!!"  (and she'd
point at her "fall risk" bracelet)  I have a feeling
this bracelet may not get removed for awhile. :)
But I LOVE when she's in good spirits and
joking!!

We ended up spending all night in the ER - from about 7pm - 5am. They did a blood transfusion - 2 units of blood / about 2 hours for each unit. The doctor there said that when a person's hemoglobin gets below 8 they usually recommend a transfusion.  Valerie's was 5.4  With the blood transfusion it got back up to 7.3.

She feels much better, but still needs to take it easy.  She immediately noticed that when we got home Sunday morning, she wasn't winded when she walked up our stairs.  That's a noticable difference.

So now the key will be to find a balance of taking it easy while also not letting her body get weaker. We don't have an appointment with the doctor until February 1, but I imagine this will initiate a meeting to discuss options.

Just wanted you all to know.  I'll keep you posted.