Please help us...

Please help us...

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Day +21: Unplugged

White Blood Cell Count: 4.6
Hemoglobin: 8.8
Platelete Count: 524 (524,000)
Neutrophils: 340


Jason's platelets are higher again today so he had to get another shot of blood thinners into his belly. Apparently the shot doesn't hurt but the burning feeling that follows is uncomfortable. The discomfort is short-lived.

On top of that he is asked to drink about two liters of water during the daytime hours. Although he will tell you that he is drinking enough, I would say he is drinking a little more than one liter per day. The doctors agreed with me and they had to give him IV fluids today to avoid dehydration. I love being right. When they weighed Jason tonight his weight increased by three pounds in one day. Hopefully that is the extra fluids.

Unlike drinking liquids, Jason is doing a very good job of taking walks. He is asked to continue walking many times each day to get his muscles moving, to clear his lungs and to prevent blood clots. Today we went on two very long walks around the hospital. We have discovered the nursing school and stared at their entire collection of nurses headwear from the past few centuries.

We also found the sleep study hallway, and discovered a quiet corner to sit and rest.

Today Jason was unhooked from his IV pole, "Jack," for half of the day. This seems like a small thing but it makes a huge difference to a bone marrow transplant patient to be "unplugged." After nearly four weeks of dragging it with him into the bathroom, into the shower, and down the halls on every walk, it is refreshing to leave it behind for a few hours. He cannot wait to be home and have his PICC Line removed so that he can go back to sleeping on his side. I think we both are tired of sleeping on our backs.

For those who do not know, according to Wikipedia, a PICC Line is a peripherally inserted central catheter, a form of intravenous access that can be used for a prolonged period of time (e.g. for long chemotherapy regimens, extended antibiotic therapy, or total parenteral nutrition). Jason's PICC line was inserted into his left arm on the first day of his admission (almost one month ago). It has been used to give him chemotherapy, blood products, and fluids. It has also been used to give him pain medicine through a pain pump attached to one of the tubes. Jason has had PICC Lines before but most have only had two leumens (tubes into his body). This time he requested a Triple-Leumen PICC line and it has been incredibly helpful.

The bummer about today is that the headaches still persist. But they were able to give Jason the pill form of Dilaudid instead of the IV form. It has been working thus far. His Tacrolimus level (the amount of a specific drug in his system that can cause headaches) is STILL high. I am sure you are wondering how that could be, after his Tacrolimus dosage has been halved twice. Well, it can interact with his antibiotic Voryconizol and stay in his system longer. They will give him a day or two off of Tacrolimus and then half his dosage again. 

The good news today is that Jason is definitely feeling a bit better. He keeps talking about eating at Buffalo Wild Wings and taking naps in his chair. Hopefully we will be there soon. And hopefully the next few months show that this transplant is a success. Keep praying for Jason. 






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