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.

Day +16: Another Busy Morning

Napping in the sun, wearing the green eye shadow that the nurses thought I was wearing for St. Patrick's Day. 

3:00 AM – Wake up, Vital Checks

5:00 AM – Wake up, Blood test for possible transfusion and for daily results
7:00 AM – Wake up, Meet your nurse for the day, and meet your student nurses
7:30 AM – Can the student nurses perform a Vitals Check and listen to your lungs and stomach?
8:00 AM – Aren’t you going to eat breakfast? How much have you eaten?
9:00 AM – What did you eat? Just a chocolate shake and a strawberry Ensure?
9:15 AM – How many ounces of liquids have you consumed? Plateletes will be ready for you soon.
9:30 AM – Doctors Visit – Numbers are looking good.
9:35 AM – Housekeeping! Can we clean your room? Put on your mask so you don’t breathe the dust!
9:45 AM – Hey, the student nurses forgot some things… Also, here are your pre-meds.
10:00 AM – Your platelets are ready! Let’s get you hooked up.
10:15 AM – Alrighty, 15 minute vital checks while you are getting platelets.
10:30 AM – Vital Check
10:45 AM – Vital Check
11:00 AM – Vital Check
11:15 AM – Aren’t you going to take a shower this morning? Let’s get that started . . .
11:30 AM – Shower
11:45 AM – Can we change your bedding?

Hopefully your morning hasn’t been as busy as ours.

But there is good news: Jason’s hemoglobin did not drop over the course of 24 hours! The doctors have reminded us that it is not unusual for it to be steady and then drop again. For now, it is constant and that fact is so wonderful. Yesterday his hemoglobin was 8.6, today it is 8.6. Plus, his platelet count increased from 6 to 9! As for the white blood cells, Jason has 0.3 of those (300). Which is more than yesterday (woo hoo!) but still quite a tiny number (well, we are getting there).

Last night Jason had a small moment where his blood pressure was pretty high (149/96). We prayed and his next vital check reflected 126/54. His lungs sound great but he will be getting another xray tomorrow to make sure everything is clearing up. Continue to pray for his lungs, general health, and the success of this procedure.

We also had a quick visit this morning from Dr. Peggy. Did you read the blog post about our meeting her? Well, you should go back and find it. She performed the lung capacity tests and the arterial blood draw on Jason before he was admitted. She made us laugh on the day we wanted to cry the most. She found Jason’s room and came to visit, bringing her smile, her jokes, and a book to borrow, Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand. Made my day.

If the day relaxes a little then Jason and I will take a small walk, eat a late lunch, and try to nap between interruptions. Hopefully today will not be any more eventful.

Since I was up before the sun, I figured I would snap some pictures.

Day +14: Short & Sweet

Today was a wonderful break from all of the awful events of the past week. Around 1:30 this morning Jason started feeling better. Not only has he been talking but he was able to shower, walk around the hospital, and eat a small portion of solid food. It has been two weeks since the transplant and I am grateful to get a glimpse of my husband again.

I missed my wonderful husband so much that when he was awake last night I forced myself to stay awake with him because he couldn't stop talking but it cost me my health today. I have had a nightmare headache all day that no amount of pain reliever has solved, my neck is sore, and I have taken two naps to try and catch up from my missed sleep.

Jason had another chest xray today and it revealed that his lungs are doing better than yesterday. His Hemoglobin is 9.1 today, which is lower than yesterday but not too low. One doctor said that we are looking at another week of taking care of his blood and platelets until we may see some small changes that reflect a new marrow. We continue to pray for the success of this transplant and hope that the rest of the days are similar to today or better.