Day 11

Day 10 was a little more up and down than we would have liked. Her counts continued to go up yesterday, however her Broviac was still not operational. So the doctors decided to remove her line and place a new one. This was a little concerning to all of us as she was just getting her counts up. It meant leaving her isolation room to go into a procedure room and also of concern, her platelet counts were still quite low. Low platelets means the blood doesn't clot as well which isn't idea for a surgical procedure. The doctor assured us that they would transfuse platelets before the procedure and the risks of placing a new line were lower now that her counts were improving. She also needed a functioning line to give her both the meds and antibiotics that she needs while also providing her with her nutrients.

Everything went well with the procedure. However her blood pressure was lower than they would like so they had an x-ray of her chest taken and found that she had some sort of virus. They were able to rule out the flu so now we're testing for various other viruses she may have. The low blood pressure could also be a result of the use of anesthetics they used during her procedure.

Another problem now is that only one of her two new lines are functioning. We're hoping to get that one cleaned out and running today to avoid putting her through another IV insertion in her arm. The good news is that through all of this she is up, she is talking her daddy's ear off and watching her movies.

I met with the infectious disease doctor yesterday to go over my cold sores and exposure to Gavin's flu. She recommended that I could return to Greta's room with a mask as early as Sunday afternoon. That still has to pass Greta's transplant doctors authorization and he was thinking more like Wednesday. We're hoping for a happy medium. I was able to get a peek at Greta Friday after her procedure while Randy carried her past me on the way back to her room. It wasn't as much as I would like but it will have to do for now.

We're praying for a much calmer day today!
With Love,
The Betz Family

10 Days Down, 90 To Go

Greta's white blood count went up today! We're very very thrilled about that. We were told about 10 days for the stem cells to do their thing so she's right on schedule. The bad news is overnight her Broviac sprung a leak, so she has to have an IV put in her arm until the glue dries on her Broviac. She seems to be feeling better. Yesterday she spent most of the day still sitting on Grammy's lap watching her movies. But everyone who has seen her the last two days has noticed how much happier and upbeat she is.

We're dealing with our own disease control at home. Gavin's fevers continued Wednesday so we went back to the doctor and they tested him for influenza. The test came back positive so now the hospital is working on getting the rest of us some drugs to hopefully prevent the rest of us getting the flu as well. Since I've been exposed to Gavin the last four days, we're not sure when I'll be allowed back to visit. It has been a week since I last saw Greta. It's been quite hard to hear all the discomfort she's been going through and not being able to be the one to hold her. Meanwhile I've been trailing Gavin throughout the house and sanitizing everything he's touching.

We're all hanging in there, it's a long battle but well worth it. It could be just 90 days (or less)until Greta can return to normal activity. I can't imagine what it will be like to have quick hospital visits and to have Greta's Broviac removed. Spring has always been my favorite time of year, this year more than ever!


Thanks again to everyone who donated to help us have our house cleaned from top to bottom. It's a relief not to have to worry about that when Greta gets home. We are truly blessed with wonderful friends!

With love,
Kristi

Day 8 - Cleaning Day Part II

Today Guarantee Systems is going to be cleaning and hepa-vacumming all of the walls and window treatments, as well as disinfecting all hard surfaces at Greta's house. Tomorrow, Stanley Steemer will thoroughly clean out the furnace and all of the ductwork, and then steam clean all of the upholstery and carpet. We are so grateful to Greg at Stanley Steemer in Byron Center, and to Mark at Guarantee System in Grand Rapids for their generous contributions toward getting the house ready for Greta to come home.

Much thanks is due, as well, to Cornerstone Church in Caledonia, where the Betz family has been attending and who made a very generous donation to the house cleaning project. All of the help we are receiving is such a blessing during such a stressful time. I know that Greta and her entire family and circle of friends is immeasureably grateful to everyone who is giving of their time and resources.

Gavin has been battling an off-and-on headache and fever for a few days. Mommy is still banned from the hospital, so she has been on Gavin detail while Daddy, Grammy and Opa take turns staying with Greta. Greta has been much more low-key these past few days, prefering to sit quietly in their laps and watch DVDs more than anything else. Still not interested in eating or drinking, she's on an IV for nutrition and fluids, and mild pain meds for stomach cramping. She's been spiking a fever now and then, so as a precautionary measure she's constantly monitored by her doctors. Xrays and nasal swabs are testing clear for infections, so it may just be her normal response to chemo (she had fevers after her last few rounds prior to this most recent stay), but the doctors need to be extra vigilant to be sure. We're told she's reacting pretty much as they would expect.

She's still such a trooper, rarely complaining, just being her sweet self, though more quiet than usual. Any day now, she should start to bounce back, and we can't wait to see that sparkle again!

Love,
Aunt Kari

Day 6

We're getting into the days the doctor warned us about now. Greta is starting to get mouth sores and she's been getting some fevers too. They have given her some morphine now to help with any pain. It's a real small dose and it does seem to perk her up a little. She had gotten a platelet transfusion yesterday and will get another one tomorrow along with a blood transfusion. She still isn't interested in drinking or eating, but that is to be expected. The good news is that everyone tells us that Greta is doing as well as or better than most transplant patients do.

I am still fighting these cold sores and hope to get them healed up soon so I can get back into the rotation of day and night time visitors. Gavin spent the day home today with a small fever and some coughing so he is back on antibiotics and we're hoping the rest of us can avoid anything he may have. He asks about Greta every day and would love to have his little sister home to play with real soon. He has been a trooper through all of this too. We make sure to pray for her every night and if we forget, he reminds us to ask for good health for everyone!

Thank you for the continued prayers!

Love,
The Betz Family

Day 5

Hi everyone - thought I would take a quick moment to thank all of our volunteers who gave of their time and the their sanitizing wipes yesterday! With so many helpers it went really fast, now the house is almost ready for baby Greta to come home.

The floors should be finished tomorrow, and then on Wednesday and Thursday we have cleaning companies arranged to thoroughly clean Greta's house from top to bottom. This will give any remaining irritants a few days to settle before she comes home. Fingers crossed, that may be less than two weeks from now. She continues to amaze everyone with her sunny mood - who else would be this fun and silly after being cooped up for almost 2 weeks?

I've gotten to spend a lot of time with Gavin and my parents while they're here, and everyone is doing really well. It's a real bummer that Kristi has to stay away from the hospital, but of course we'll do what we need to if it keeps Greta healthy. Grammy and Opa have arranged to stay another day or two to help out while Kristi's benched. She can't wait to get back to her girl. Lucky Gavin gets to have some more time with Mommy, though :)

Thanks again to our helpers yesterday, and of course to all of you for your friendship & support.
She's a pretty big miracle for such a small girl :)

Love,
Kari

Day 4

Greta's counts have dropped very low today. So now we wait until they start to climb back up. I (Kristi) am not allowed to visit Greta right now. I came down with what appears to be cold sores which Greta is very susceptible to and can cause other infections. So until my labs come back to confirm what the sores are, I am to stay away. As you can imagine, it's the hardest thing to not be allowed to see Greta right now, especially during the days where she is at her lowest.

Greta is still doing great though. She is still playing, dancing and singing. The child life specialists have provided Greta with her own play kitchen and plates and dish set, so she is busy making dinner and pouring her guests drinks. Grammy is staying with Greta tonight so they will have their special sleep over party tonight. I'm sure there will be much spoiling!

Thanks to everyone who came over today to help sanitize all of our toys! It went so quickly with all the help. We really appreciate all the extra hands!

The Betz Family

Day 3

Greta's counts have gone down today. The doctor says the next few days may be her worst. So far, she's still doing pretty well. She doesn't have any mouth sores yet (which is a common concern). The sores can go down into the digestive tract, and they make eating more painful. Greta has pretty much stopped eating, but she's on IV nutrition so that isn't a concern right now. She'll have to get back to eating on her own before we'll be able to go home. All in all, the doctor seems pretty happy with where she is right now.

We've been in the hospital now for 11 days and it's going better than we had hoped. We all seem to be managing it pretty well. Gavin has asked about his sister every day, but he seems to be handling this all very well too. He seems to enjoy all the remodeling at home. He likes the jungle gym of furniture in the foyer and eating snacks on our bed as it is the only room with carpet and a TV right now. I am ready for the mess to be over with myself. I miss my washing machine most of all!

Thanks for all the support and the help, we couldn't do this without you.

Love,
The Betz Family