What a Difference a Day Makes

Intense vs INTENSE

I would have to say that the last 9 days were some of the most intense I've ever experience. I'm not quite sure why, but I've decided to share a few of the things that have been going on here. Maybe it's to prove to myself that it, in fact, was INTENSE.

The nausea has been Ray's constant companion. He's recieved up to 4 different nausea medications several times in a day.

He’s still receiving his nutrition through the IV. The nausea eased up a bit a couple days ago, but he has no desire to eat yet. He started eating a little Tuesday (500 calories) and had about the same today. He’ll still be on the TPN until he eats his normal calorie intake two days in a row.

He’s had a 104.6 fever two different times so we’ve had to cover him with ice packs until they came down. I changed the ice packs all night long one night and my daughter did the same thing another night that she was here. His fevers were over 101 for 5 days in a row. He had the chills so bad at times that his whole body would just shake uncontrollably.

One of the most annoying things throughout this recovery time has been a cough. They're not sure if it is flu related or from transplant or fluid retention. But whatever the cause, he has several coughing spell during the day and night which have interrupted sleep and worsened the headaches and nausea.

He developed an irregular heartbeat and has been on constant monitoring (telemetry) the last four days to make sure all is OK there.

For the last 8 days my children and I have been taking turns to make sure that someone was here with Ray at all times. I have not included everything that has happened this last while, but I'm sure I've probably written more than enough for whoever reads this.

Is this the Same Guy?

Last night (Wed 2-2-11) my son, Chad, stayed with his dad so I could go home after a 36 hour stent and sleep in my own bed. Ray had been asleep most of the day Wednesday because of another rough night.

I returned today to find a goodlooking man, sitting up in his bed, smiling and visiting with my son. He had just finished some Cheerios and orange juice and was talking about taking a shower. He had already seen the PA and told me that she had said that his counts were great and that they needed to start getting him ready for his discharge in the next few days. Was I in the right room? Was this the same person that I had been with the day before?

The lab results were wonderful. WBCs were 4.2 today and ANC was 3.2. That's higher than they've been since this all started a year ago. The Hct went up to 31.3 and platelets were 145. So those new stem cells (now bone marrow cells) are working hard. Yippee.

Progress

Today was day 15. They said BMT patients usually feel better about day 15. They were right. The cardiologist came in today and said he thought Ray's heart was fine so they discontinued his monitoring. They've started giving him more of his medications in pill form, so his infusions have been cut way down. The desire to eat comes and goes along with occasional nausea, but that is a big improvement from two days ago. The cough is still a problem but seems to be de-intensifying.

I don't think his discharge from the hospital will be in the next few days. But it will come soon. There is a little light at the end of the tunnel.