Day 29

The agony of day 28 still lingered as day 29 arrived.

When the frequent, painful urgency to the bathroom started last week, I was quick to request that Jazmyne’s urine be tested for a UTI. As the symptoms progressed, I kept asking. And they kept reassuring me that the tests showed no UTI was present.

Each time they said it was negative, I tried to quiet that nudge in my spirit. But something didn’t sit right. I was surprised the culture results were coming back so quickly, knowing they typically take about three days. I told myself, it’s the hospital… maybe they have advanced machinery that can detect it faster.

Still, watching her wince.

Watching her brace herself before every trip to the bathroom.

Watching her body fight one more invisible battle.

A mother knows when something isn’t adding up.

Day 29 wasn’t just about new symptoms — it was about learning, yet again, to trust that voice inside that refuses to be silenced. And what we would uncover next would only confirm that persistence matters more than politeness in these hospital halls.

Day 29 presented itself with a new concern.

A wet cough made itself known.

And in our world, a wet cough isn’t just a cough. It’s the sound of possible fluid in the lungs — and in an immunocompromised body like Jazmyne’s, that can quickly spiral into pneumonia.

We immediately voiced our concerns to the care team. The wet cough. The worsening UTI symptoms. The overall shift we were seeing.

“Run every test. Let’s rule out what it’s not.”

That’s when we discovered something unsettling.

The UTI testing I had repeatedly requested… hadn’t actually been done. Only a basic test strip had been used, which would not detect a viral infection. The very thing I was asking to rule out requires a urine culture.

Finally, a urine culture was taken.

A nasal swab was done.

A chest X-ray was ordered.

Some days we fight illness.

Other days we fight to be heard.

The nasal swab confirmed Jazmyne has been exposed to Coronavirus ..yes, the now “fancy” name for what we once called in 2019 the common cold. Because of this, we are now on a 14-day isolation to our room. Every nurse. Every staff member. Fully gowned in PPE just to enter her room. Another layer. Another precaution. Another reminder of how fragile this season still is.

The urine culture came back positive for BK virus.

If you’ve never heard of it, we hadn’t either.

BK virus mimics every symptom of a UTI pain, burning, urgency ..but technically it isn’t one. There is no specific antiviral treatment for BK. No magic medication to wipe it out. We can only manage the symptoms with two medications typically used when a UTI is present… and allow her body to do the fighting.

And here is where we pause and say: Praise God.

Today her immune system is rebuilding.

The same body that once couldn’t tolerate basic inflammation is now strong enough to confront Coronavirus and BK virus at the same time. That perspective matters.

We have seen what fragile looks like.

We have lived what catastrophic feels like.

And that’s why this moment ,though still serious …feels different.

Growth doesn’t always look loud. Sometimes it looks like surviving what once would have taken you out.

Today on Day 30

Her body is rebuilding.

Her immune system is waking up.

She is fighting.

We are isolated.

We are cautious.

But we are grateful.

What would have once overwhelmed her… her body is now strong enough to battle.

That is growth.

That is progress.

That is God’s faithfulness in real time.

Another challenge we didn’t see coming…because of Jazmyne’s skin peeling, keeping her dressings intact has become incredibly difficult. The adhesive doesn’t hold well, and her fragile skin makes every dressing change delicate and painful. What seems simple for most patients has become a constant balancing act for her.

Over the weekend, her medi port began bleeding profusely. Not just spotting — an outpour of blood that immediately raised concern about something happening beneath the surface that we couldn’t see with the physical eye. An X-ray was discussed to determine whether deeper issues were present.

With the amount of medications being administered day and night, her medi port had become essential. The original goal this week was for nursing to adjust her medication schedule to use only the red and white lumens of her central lines so the medi port could be removed and allowed to rest.

And praise God for nurses who don’t just care…they think.

They created a strict, around-the-clock medication timeline that made it possible to safely stop using the port. The medi port was removed.

Upon removal, it was discovered that a hematoma had begun forming under Jazmyne’s skin around the port site — which explains the significant bleeding. Removing it was absolutely the right call and will allow that area to properly heal.

This is crucial because this medi port is meant to remain with Jazmyne for the next year  to be used for future blood draws, potential infusions, and possible transfusions of platelets and blood once we return to life outside the hospital.

Even in the scare, there was protection.

Even in the bleeding, there was wisdom.

Even in the challenge, there was provision.

One more hurdle navigated. One more reminder that God places the right people around us at the right time.

Days 25-29 reminded us — again why we must stay alert, ask questions, and advocate loudly when something doesn’t sit right.

Day 30 reminded us of the backlash that can come when you do.

~In the Mighty Name of Jesus