Comfort zones

Talitha didn't need two naps today. She went for a new record and napped for three and a half hours. (I'm trying really hard to not be jealous.)

She needed platelets again today. And she'll probably need a transfusion of red blood cells tomorrow.

The happy news of the day is that her newly forming bone marrow is starting to produce white blood cells. It was just a very slight uptick in the counts. Hopefully tomorrow's blood tests will show it wasn't a fluke.

The aches and pains of the rapid growth within her bones started becoming more obvious today as Tali would start crying without warning from time to time. She was also quite a bit more irritable today but that may be partly due to her getting ready to be a two year old in a few months.

One of the techs came in the room this afternoon to check Tali's vitals. First the blood pressure machine showed unacceptably high numbers. So, the tech tried again. Then the numbers were unacceptably low. (I suggested to the tech that she should just take the average between the two as that would be a perfect blood pressure reading. She just ignored me for some reason.)

Since the sophisticated machine didn't seem to be working, the tech brought in one of the old manual blood pressure reading devices on wheels. When Tali saw that “new” machine, she immediately asked me to pick her up from the floor mat and she became very distressed.

When I think about it, Talitha has been battling cancer and living in hospital rooms for over one fourth of her life. During this time, she has been adjusting to certain routines and procedures and has become comfortable with the uncomfortable--to the extent that she recognizes it.

Gives me a whole new understanding of what comfort zones are all about. It has very little to do with what's in the comfort zone and everything to do with whether or not you've become accustomed (or used) to it.