What a crazy trip this has all been. And yet, at every turn we keep getting greeted by blessing after blessing. Today we received the best news yet. Joe has been discharged from Short Stay for good behavior. :) What does this mean? This means that even though we haven't yet reached Day 30, we no longer have to go to the hospital every single morning. What does that mean? It means that tomorrow, we get to SLEEP IN! Joe's WBC is up to 3300. Today he was officially taken off all of his antibiotics, which significantly decreases his pill intake. Now he just needs to take two anti-rejection meds and one anti-viral med. Also, for the first time in weeks, Joe's magnesium level was in normal range. Because of the drugs he's on, the level will probably dip again. But Joe will take tablets instead of getting an IV. The truly amazing part is that for now, Joe only needs to go to the hospital twice a week. Seven days down to two is a HUGE blessing. It was supposed to be a gradual taper, but Joe has been doing so well. Praise the Lord!
Joe's mouth sores continue to improve. Nausea is rare and doesn't last too long. Joe's appetite is getting a little better, although his taste seems a bit blunted. His mouth sores have improved greatly. The only new thing is tenderness in his fingertips. His fingertips and the meaty part of his palm are red, and they are sensitive to heat and friction. The doctor said that this is a common side effect of FK5O6 (tacrolimus/Prograf) as well as Busulfan (one of the chemotherapies Joe was on pre-transplant). In time, this too shall pass.
What can I say? God is good, and all of your prayers, love, hugs, and support are apparently working. Thank you, thank you!
Showing posts with label magnesium. Show all posts
Showing posts with label magnesium. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Friday, January 26, 2007
Wonderful news!
Going to the hospital every day has become our daily job. But it's a lot worse, because it's not fun or fulfilling. But the good news is that Joe is getting better and better each day thanks to the wonderful doctors and nurses caring for him.
We made it to the hospital today in good time, only to be greeted by a full waiting room that kept getting more and more packed. We've never seen it so busy. Our wait in the waiting room was almost a full hour. Fortunately, somebody was great enough to order Joe's meds in advance, so they were ready when we got to his room. Joe is now getting half the fluids he was previously, he is still on vanco for a few days (which has brought down his temperature, and taken away the tenderness around his port), and of course magnesium. Unfortunately, one of Joe's anti-rejection meds depletes magnesium, so even after he stops getting it IV, Joe will have to start taking it in tablet form.
Now for the wonderful news. The doctor rounding today came into the room and said, "wonderful news!" Joe's WBC (which jumped up to 376 yesterday) is 900 today! This is the real deal. His WBC should just keep jumping up now. Platelets and RBC take a little more time, but we can be patient with those. Joe hasn't seen our house in over 3 weeks now, and he is itching to go back. He's decided that Sunday will probably be the day we head out of Hotel Mom & Dad. Of course, it has been noted that we are welcome back to the "hotel" anytime. We've been really blessed to have the extra help.
Thank you Marcus for visiting Joe while you've been rotating through the hospital. You really helped the days go by faster.
Thank you Albert for the great care package! We know you are super busy, so it means a lot that you took the time and thought that went into it.
We made it to the hospital today in good time, only to be greeted by a full waiting room that kept getting more and more packed. We've never seen it so busy. Our wait in the waiting room was almost a full hour. Fortunately, somebody was great enough to order Joe's meds in advance, so they were ready when we got to his room. Joe is now getting half the fluids he was previously, he is still on vanco for a few days (which has brought down his temperature, and taken away the tenderness around his port), and of course magnesium. Unfortunately, one of Joe's anti-rejection meds depletes magnesium, so even after he stops getting it IV, Joe will have to start taking it in tablet form.
Now for the wonderful news. The doctor rounding today came into the room and said, "wonderful news!" Joe's WBC (which jumped up to 376 yesterday) is 900 today! This is the real deal. His WBC should just keep jumping up now. Platelets and RBC take a little more time, but we can be patient with those. Joe hasn't seen our house in over 3 weeks now, and he is itching to go back. He's decided that Sunday will probably be the day we head out of Hotel Mom & Dad. Of course, it has been noted that we are welcome back to the "hotel" anytime. We've been really blessed to have the extra help.
Thank you Marcus for visiting Joe while you've been rotating through the hospital. You really helped the days go by faster.
Thank you Albert for the great care package! We know you are super busy, so it means a lot that you took the time and thought that went into it.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Sixty-six!
The normal range for WBC (white blood cells) is 4500-11000 cells/MCL. According to Joe's blood draw this morning, he has 66 cells/MCL. They have to be counted manually. It just amazes me how low they are. This week Joe's WBC are expected to be at their lowest. Sixty-six is pretty much lowest. In a few days they should start inching their way up to a more acceptable range. For now, Joe wears a mask while outside of the house. And we've all become pretty obsessive about washing our hands and being clean. Joe even gets his own personal blood pressure cuff and thermometer at the hospital. Pretty special, eh?
Remarkably, Joe is currently feeling better than he has been in awhile. Yesterday and this morning he had a throbbing headache. Today it was discovered that one of his drug (FK5O6/Prograf) dosages may need to be tweaked. Patients on Prograf are tested twice a week. Joe was tested yesterday, and the results today show that his levels are too high. This is a possible reason for his headaches. So hopefully, the headaches will be better once the dosage is changed.
Joe did have a platelet transfusion today, and more magnesium. His appetite is increasing little by little, and Joe can tolerate more than just rice and broth now. When we left the hospital, Joe said that his headache was gone. Everything else felt good too. Hooray for every victory!
Thank you to Akiko and Joe for the balloons! They are so fun and cheery.
Remarkably, Joe is currently feeling better than he has been in awhile. Yesterday and this morning he had a throbbing headache. Today it was discovered that one of his drug (FK5O6/Prograf) dosages may need to be tweaked. Patients on Prograf are tested twice a week. Joe was tested yesterday, and the results today show that his levels are too high. This is a possible reason for his headaches. So hopefully, the headaches will be better once the dosage is changed.
Joe did have a platelet transfusion today, and more magnesium. His appetite is increasing little by little, and Joe can tolerate more than just rice and broth now. When we left the hospital, Joe said that his headache was gone. Everything else felt good too. Hooray for every victory!
Thank you to Akiko and Joe for the balloons! They are so fun and cheery.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day
We went back to the hospital this morning. Joe received some magnesium in addition to his usual bag of saline. His platelets are down to 14, so it is almost definite that Joe will be getting a platelet transfusion tomorrow. Joe is extremely neutropenic now. The doctor who has been rounding keeps stressing that this is a critical period. During this point of the transplant process, most patients end up being admitted to the hospital with fever/infection. It is almost like a rite of passage. But you still never know. A lucky few manage to sneak past this little detour. Let's hope and pray Joe is one of the lucky few!
The good news is that Joe has been eating a bit more since yesterday. Not only that, but most of the food he has been eating has been staying in his body for a normal-ish amount of time. Joe had been experiencing some diffuse pain in his belly for several days, and that is finally going away. Each day we see a bit of progress. The nurses and doctors like to remind us not to be disappointed or discouraged if there are setbacks along the way, or if Joe feels blah for awhile. Still, it makes the days easier to stay positive and celebrate the tiny victories. If we encounter setbacks we'll deal with them. Before that, it doesn't make sense to worry, does it?
The good news is that Joe has been eating a bit more since yesterday. Not only that, but most of the food he has been eating has been staying in his body for a normal-ish amount of time. Joe had been experiencing some diffuse pain in his belly for several days, and that is finally going away. Each day we see a bit of progress. The nurses and doctors like to remind us not to be disappointed or discouraged if there are setbacks along the way, or if Joe feels blah for awhile. Still, it makes the days easier to stay positive and celebrate the tiny victories. If we encounter setbacks we'll deal with them. Before that, it doesn't make sense to worry, does it?
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