Frustrated...

We are frustrated that we are still waiting on approval from the insurance company. Collin has baseline testing that needs to be done before the bone marrow transplant and we can't proceed without the insurance approval. We had hoped for approval last week so it has been a long week of waiting. We are grateful that we have had time together as a family but are still anxious with each passing day knowing that Collin can't stay free of infection forever with no white blood cells to fight off bacteria. His bone marrow transplant can only happen when he is well, so we get nervous that he will be readmitted for infections that will push his bone marrow transplant off by several weeks.

Collin had a blood draw today. We were anxious to see his numbers since his red blood cells were creeping down Monday and a red blood cell transfusion is looming. Unfortunately this did not work in our favor today. We were called after coming home from the hospital with news that the lab could not process his blood because it had clotted. We have tried when not giving Collin IV's or transfusions to do his blood tests with a finger prick. That was the process this morning but because the nurse was not able to get it capped off the air clotted the blood by the time it got to the lab. Collin has had so many veins that have been used for transfusions, IV's, and blood tests that we are running out of good veins. When the bone marrow transplant process is started he will have a central line put in that will handle all of his needs. Today has left us frustrated in trying to give Collin the best care that we can.