"shit" is totally devalued

through overuse around here. Annika's bleeding started up again last night, even though she is still on the highest dose of octreotide she has ever been on. She did need yet another transfusion of both whole blood and plasma, but it doesn't look like this one is going to be as bad as the last one. Still, we know that she cannot simply go on like this, and the question mark over all the doctors' heads is practically visible. At least they have finally gotten a positive hit on a blood culture, which will let them know what kind of infection they are trying to fight in her swollen abdomen. In the meantime, they have her nicely stabilized, and so I'm not in the panic that I felt last week. Our PICU neighbors, though, are in a much more painful and dangerous place. I know the family from the Kohl's House, and so we chat and share tea and coffee. If you're sending prayers or well-wishes our way here at CMH's PICU, be sure and include a thought for our companions on the other side of the glass wall.