After her close call in surgery, Arden was sent to the pediatric ICU in critical condition. Her tumor was now so big that it filled her entire abdomen and was starting to push into her chest, so much that she couldn't even expand her own lungs to breath. She was intubated and placed on a breathing machine, and Dr. Cain made a quick decision on the chemotherapy protocol she would follow.
I remember clearly, writing the chemotherapy orders to start at noon that day. We wanted Arden to be hydrated with fluids for several hours and then get chemo as soon as possible in the hope that it would start shrinking the tumor enough for her to breath again. Hopefully before even a machine wouldn't be able to expand her lungs.
However, probably because they are used to so many different kinds of patients-the ICU nurses never started Arden's chemotherapy. They apparently thought her other medicines and drips were more important and continued trying to give her what they thought was the priority. I still remember walking down to the ICU at 3:30pm to check on her and finding out that nothing, nothing had been started. Not even her pre-hydration fluids.
It was devastating; and she was getting worse. I immediately called Dr. Cain and filled her in. "Oh, my God. That is unacceptable. I'll be right down." She promptly arrived in the unit and both of us pretty much accosted the nurse who was taking care of Arden. It was a huge mistake, and it truly could have cost this girl her life.
When babies get really sick, they can crash fast. Chemotherapy was the only thing that was going to save her.
After all, Arden was only 18 months old.
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