April 17th, 9:00pm

From Christine: I got the PICC line today, and I'm doing a lot better. 

This afternoon was filled with a lot of pain, and Christine was definitely feeling discouraged. This is a very slow process and its hard to really see any progress, especially for her. The eye doctor came by, and said that things were improving. The whites of her eyes are less red, and he thinks both eyes have "turned a corner" in terms of healing. At this point in time, he doesn't expect there to be any long term eye damage.

The Derm team came in after the eye doctor, and they were encouraged by the eye doctor's report. They explained that the mucous membranes heal the fastest, so if the eyes were improving they expected to see improvement in other areas soon as well. They felt that many of the blisters had darkened, deflated, and started to reattach to the skin. Derm talked to her more about nutrition, tended to some of her bandages, and found some special Vaseline gauze more suited for the blisters and rash on her face.

After Derm came the PICC team, and they explained both the risks and the benefits of having the PICC line. Christine will need an IV for quite some time, and it has to be moved every 96 hours. "Real estate" is hard to come by on her arms as the rash is everywhere. Additionally, she has blood collected every day. Having the PICC line will eliminate the need for her to be continually "stuck." We decided to put it in, and Mom, Tommy, and I waited nervously in the hallway while the procedure was completed. Things went well though, and her spirits were significantly improved after they finished as she knew it would make things easier going forward.

She managed to eat half of a grilled cheese and half of a cup of chocolate milk shake for dinner. Currently she is going through her nightly medication routine with the nurse, and then the nurse will get her ready for bed in terms of bandages and bathroom runs with the help of Mom. I am about to head home for the night, but will be back early tomorrow morning. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day.