Day +22: Biopsies and More Biopsies

White Blood Cells: 7.2

Hemoglobin: 8.8

Platelets: 669

Neutrophils: 1,500 (1.5)

Another long night at the hospital when Jason’s oxygen level dipped into the 80’s (percentage). Even with deep breaths his lungs were still unable to reach 90% so the nurses had to put him on oxygen. I wondered if maybe more fluid had entered his lungs; he had gained three pounds in one night and it got me curious.

After a long morning walk Jason had to get a bone marrow biopsy (his millionth biopsy, perhaps?). He is normally not bothered by a biopsy as long as doctors promise to drug him until he is asleep and numb. Apparently it is easier for an older person to undergo a biopsy; we were told that many elderly persons do not even require anesthesia.

Jason has a high level of creatinine in his liver and it caused his body to retain the anesthesia for a longer period of time. Normally Jason would be awake after an hour or two but Jason has slept since 11 AM (It is now 8:30 PM). He has difficulty keeping his eyes open and he is supposed to be walking and practicing breathing techniques in order to clear his lungs and get his oxygen level back up above 90%. Jason has been using an oxygen source all day to make up for the lack of oxygen in his lungs. Also, the doctors discovered that it is this high creatinine level, and a reaction with the antibiotic that explains whey Jason's Tacrolimus level is still so high (even after days off of it, and halving the dose three times). This is the answer to the weeks of headaches.

Whenever we get out of here Jason will be required to get bone marrow biopsies in his lower back once every three months for a year. After that, if all is well, he will be asked to get a bone marrow biopsy once annually. In the meantime the best thing he could do would be to walk, walk and walk some more. That would get his lungs to expand and then he would be able to remove the oxygen mask but it is pretty tough to be walking around when you are still tired from anesthesia.

Doctors also performed another chest x-ray just to be sure that his lungs are clearing up. The preliminary results would say that his lungs are not much better but they are not any worse. Walks will change this, as well as the antibiotics that are hopefully working. Today they mentioned a bronchoscopy to determine the exact infection in his lungs. Now that Jason’s platelets are so dramatically high they could perform this procedure without fear of bleeding.

Hopefully tonight Jason’s oxygen will be at an OK level and he can get some sleep without much concern for his lungs. His last oxygen level was still in the 80's but he has lost two pounds in one day so I am hoping that he lost some of the fluid in his lungs.

On a lighter note, I asked Jason which item he most looked forward to sitting on when we got home: the reclining couch, his fancy reclining, swiveling extra-padded chair, or our bed. He said he was most looking forward to sitting on the toilet in his home because no one would be asking him questions about quantity, color and consistency.