May 6, 2026
Day 50
We are grateful for the anonymous gifts Tate received through Amazon, courtesy of a delivery by Tim. A heartfelt thank you to the secret gift giver(s) for bringing joy to Tate with her new game and cosmetics. So kind and generous!!
Several years ago, we received five large, anonymous gift cards for Instacart. I’m known for stretching my gift cards and these have provided us with essential support over many hospital admissions, covering numerous grocery deliveries, meals, and snacks, toiletries, etc. We are so thankful for the convenience of grocery/goods delivery’s during our hospital stays. I don’t keep a car here and deliveries help Tim out too so he can spend his time away from work with us and not running down my shopping list. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Your gift so long ago gave and gave and gave!
The DoorDash and restaurant gift cards have also been invaluable, helping us navigate the challenges of an extended hospital stay. Hospital food gets repetitive and the opportunity to order food that we enjoy has been a welcome relief. We are deeply humbled by the love and care we have received.
From a medical perspective, the past two days have been particularly difficult physically for Tate and mentally/emotionally for us both. Tate continues to feel pretty lousy. Unfortunately, Tatum's primary pain doctor is currently unavailable, and so we wait until Monday for further guidance. We know there are limited options left for pain management and are praying for a solution to provide Tate with consistent pain relief.
Additionally, it seems like the rheum pot has been stirred again, which is disheartening given our hopes for the new biologic treatment. Tate lost two IV’s on Tuesday due to clots and has another clot in her arm. And last night, she lost her new IV to an evisceration ( when the medication being infused leaks out of the vein and goes into her tissue.) These are all sign of ornery vessels in Tate which further supports that the rheumatic issues she has are looking for attention again.
Tate's goal is still to attend the hospital prom on May 15th. I am hopeful we can get home in time to find a dress and some energy too beforehand. While getting home is a challenge in itself, Tate's ability to participate in the prom isn’t guaranteed even if we are home. However, she has consistently demonstrated her capacity to push through difficulties and rally for short periods. #tatestribe
Tate and art therapist, Erin, have been making vellum butterflies for our window. So fun when they actually land on you.