Elevator

Wednesday 9 May, evening

A long and grinding day. It took a while after our arrival at the hospital before a blood sample was taken and sent to the lab. And another hour went by before the results were carried in by a doctor. Not surprisingly, all her major blood values were dramatically off the mark.

Some figures. Red blood cells at 2.04 (should be at 4.00 minimum). Haemoglobin at 5.8 (should be at 12.0). WBC at 0.84 (should be at 4.00 minimum). Neutrophils at 0.29 (should be at 1.60 or at least at 0.5). Her platelets should be at 150, but instead stood at 4, an historic low!

On 26 April the lab did a microscopic count of the bad cells, and they stood at 10 percent. The next time she comes in (next Tuesday), they will do one again to see where we are headed. But, dear friends, the prospects are bleak.

Lara is taking her dietary supplements prescribed by Dr Tcachor and her homeopatic medication prescribed by Dr Schroyens (as off now at a strong dose). But in addition to those a small miracle is needed, really.

The nurse cleaned up Lara's central line as well she could but the perfusion was slow, taking up to one hour and forty-five minutes per blag of blood. Plus a bag of platelets. Actually, replacement of her central line is long overdue, but doctors don't risk it because of her low platelets count; she may bleed too much.

Long hours. I spelled out the news paper, bought an history magazine and read more about Syria than I ever intended to know.

Finally, at around 6:15PM, the ambulanciers came by to pick us up again. The driver wrestled through rush hour traffic, exascerbated by a driving rain storm. We made it home, holding up a pile of traffic in from of our apartment building. To make matters worse, the one operable elevator was blocked at the 9th floor by Federal Express, and the ambulance people (one of them the same gorgeous woman), had to carry Lara up over the staircase in a medico chair. She was slumped on her bed at 7:45PM. Zonked. I will have to wake her for a little supper, for eaten she has hardly all day.