Update time:
While O was on spring break the Cover news got more serious. Our area had about 50 cases. The beach none and none in her school's state. By Friday of break, the school announced they were moving to online classes and shutting dorms. The girls had driven to the beach and her friend lives near there so she just went home, leaving O stranded. We flew her back to school. Only a two hour flight but we were still nervous.
Then we had to decide what to do with her. Leave her at her off campus apartment, by herself, in a rural are that had no cases or put her on a shuttle bus ride two hours to sit in the country's busiest airport for 2 hours and then an almost 7 hour flight home to come home to a hotbed of Covid activity. I had thought I had the flu the week prior but got tested and it came out negative. My PCP said I very well could have had Covid but there were (and still aren't) any tests available so since I was getting better I was fine BUT do we bring O home to this?
In the end, we decided to bring her home. We were concerned that eventually air travel would become harder, her getting food and supplies would be rough and being all alone 24/7 for at least 3 weeks would take it's toll. Add to it the fact that her IBD isn't under great control and in case of a flare her small regional hospital doesn't have a GI, it was better to bring her home.
In the meanwhile, T's schools closed and went to online learning until after Easter break (I suspect they won't go back). O landed last Monday just in time for the San Francisco area "shelter in place" orders.
She is doing fine. Been home a week and no Covid signs. The whole family has stayed home as much as possible but hubs and I are essential workers so we each have to go in about 2 days a week. I work with the homeless which brings a whole other level of concern.
As far as her IBD goes, things aren't good. Her frequency is inching up...at about 8-9 now, she is waking at night at least once and often 2 or 3 and she is bleeding consistently and a good amount. No formed BM's. Amazingly, she still has quite the appetite and her weight is stable. But have to admit, this morning, noon and night and snack SCD cooking with limited availability of food is starting to take it's toll on me!
Last Wednesday she checked in with GI and while he agreed blood wasn't good he told her to hold steady on therapy plan for now. SCD 100% strict compliance, 600 mg Entyvio Q4 and 9mg Entocort MWF.
This is for a few reasons. First - the children's hospital is basically shut down and only taking urgent cases. They are using a number of floors for the adult overflow from the hospital next door. No procedures unless urgent, no clinic visits etc. The hospitals around here are starting to call all specialists in to handle triage and E.R. and ICU....even opthamologists...I hear. Second - we are trying to keep her from an all out flare and needing more steroids which would leave her more susceptible to Covid complication should she get it. Third - we can't switch therapy now as that would require steroid bridge (remember taco didn't work).
So we are just trying to hold her together until this Covid thing blows over and then we will decide what to do from here. Not the best plan. Risking further flare. Risking complications from ongoing low level inflammation. But what are our choices.
Her college has decided to move to online for the remainder of the semester. Her lease is up in July. Hopefully by then, we could get out of the house and fly down and get her out of her apartment and into a storage unit. We will then drive her car home.