Update: Tab & Caroline

Oh how I wish I was writing to say thank God, they are all better!

Tab was admitted to the hospital today at about 2pm. They expect it will take several days to get the staph out of his system. They had to go back and re-open his "wound" and drain and clean it, then re-pack it. He is on the strongest antibiotic to fight MRSA. They also gave him a super dose of steroids to boost his immune system.

Caroline is a whole different ballgame. I have cried so many tears today that my eyes are nearly swollen shut. Her dad, Steven came down to help out, and while I was getting Tab into the hospital, he took Caroline for her appointment. Her fever never would completely go away. She has these tiny red dots all over her back and legs, and lots of bruising., along with the constant head ache.

Steven called and said the words no mother {parent} ever wants to hear. They want to admit her to the hospital. I really thought I was going to pass out. I requested they do bloodwork on her because of the bruising and she has had about 8 nosebleeds in the past month. The bloodwork came back, with bad news. Her platelet count was really low. About 10,000. They got on the phone with some specialists, and decided their course of action.

She was diagnosed with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura:
The exact cause of ITP isn't known. For that reason it's referred to as idiopathic — meaning "of unknown cause." It is known, however, that in people with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, the immune system malfunctions and begins attacking platelets as if they were foreign substances.
Antibodies produced by your immune system attach themselves to the platelets, marking the platelets for destruction. The spleen, which helps your body fight infection, recognizes the antibodies and removes the platelets from your system. The result of this case of mistaken identity is a lower number of platelets than normal.
A common cause of petechiae is a low platelet count (thrombocytopenia). Platelets are blood cells that play an important role in blood clotting. Causes of a low platelet count include:
§ Autoimmune disorders, such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis
§ Viral infections, such as mononucleosis and measles (rubella)
§ Side effect of certain medications, such as chemotherapy drugs
§ Bone marrow disorders, such as leukemia
§ Infection of your bloodstream (septicemia, or "blood poisoning")

In basic terms her platelets are attacking each other. The little red dots are Petechiae, which is explained above.

We will be going to see the Hematologist in the morning at a hospital an hour away. They are going to run a full blood panel on her, along with some other tests, but they wouldn't elaborate. We won't know until then if they will hospitalize her or not. If her platelet count drops any lower, they will.

What makes this whole thing worse is that a little over a week ago, I was talking to her dr. about the nosebleeds, and she said she would be worried if she saw any petechiea, as it is usually a sign of Leukemia. And then today she is covered with the petechiea.

Needless to say, I am falling apart. My husband is in one hospital with a severe staph infection that if it has traveled to his bloodstream could be fatal, and now my daughter may be hospitalized due to ITP, which could have far worse possibilities than just a passing thing.

I know I am the first to say that He will take care of us, and that He has a plan. But when its slapped in your face, it is so hard to hold onto that. No, my faith in God is not wavering. I am just in a low place right now until I can process all of this.

Please pray for my dear sweet family.