Monday, September 12, 2005: Conditioned on the fact that Leela is still in the hospital, the news is good. Leela’s last fever was Saturday afternoon, and she has been feeling pretty good since then. While the first culture taken while in the hospital was positive, the other two are not growing any bacteria cultures yet.

The prediction is that she will be sent home tomorrow morning. Given how busy things are in the morning in the hematology/oncology unit, I doubt whether it will be very early—it will probably be just in time to stop for “Soup and Dumplings” in Chinatown on the way home. It’s Leela favorite lunch out: chicken and corn soup and fried dumplings at Eat First a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown.

Leela will have to take IV antibiotics for another two weeks or so, but the home infusions will only be once a day. That will make it much easier for Leela to keep to a regular school schedule. Most IV antibiotics seem to require at least three infusions per day. We have also been told that Leela’s catheter removal “will be scheduled” for the day that her course of antibiotics ends. Let’s hope this scenario plays out, and it occurs sooner rather than later.