Better Day

Today, Dave's confusion was definitely better. As soon as he can get off the pain medication for the mouth sores I think he will be able to get up and do some walking. He just hasn't felt like it the last few days. I'm going to see if I can convince him tomorrow. Jeff, Molly, Stella and Sully leave tomorrow, and I know I will really miss them. Dave was able to see them too and even hold Sully. Stella loved sitting on his bed and visiting with him. It's going to be really quiet after they leave and I'm not sure I'm going to like it!!! Hope we can be home by September.

Confusion

I sure would like to report some better news, but today was not an easy day. For some reason Dave has gotten very confused. They are linking it to a steroid they gave him intravenously to stop the itching. They call it "steroid psychosis". He was better this evening and his thinking was a bit clearer, but he still has some confusion. Hoping tomorrow will be better. His mouth sores are better, but still having some ugly sores on the side of his tongue. He did swallow pills today which was a positive happening. It is hard seeing him so unlike himself, but with lots of prayers coming our way we hope to be home by the end of August. I read Dave all the comments and e-mails and they really do lift our spirits and make a difference in the day. Thank you for your prayers and thoughts.

Day 6

Molly, Stella and Sulla arrived yesterday afternoon and Dave was happy to see them. He is still having a lot of itching either from an antibiotic or the medication used to thicken the lining of his mouth. Today his mouth wasn't as sore and, according to his physician, he is ahead of schedule on his recovery, although the itching is really miserable. He has also developed atrial fibrillation (abnormal heart rhythm), another common occurrence after stem cell transplant. They are watching that closely too. It just seems like it's one thing after another. Hopefully, tomorrow will be more comfortable for him and he gets some much needed rest.

Day 4 of Transplant

Mouth sores and sore throat are still problems, but Dave's having better pain control and seems to be handling everything well. He has developed an itchy rash which could be a reaction to either platelets or one of the medications he is on. They are ruling out causes but, otherwise, Dave is doing quite well. The nurses are taking good care of him, and are always positive.

Another Day Down

The day didn't start off very good as Dave had horrible mouth and throat pain and the morphine didn't help a bit. He uses a suction device, similar to that of a dental hygienist's, to help with the production of mucous and saliva as he has difficulty swallowing. They switched him to another pain med and that made a big difference. This afternoon he felt better and actually visited a bit with his brothers, Richard, Robin, and Craig. The "boys" then went shopping and brought him back a few electronic games to keep him entertained, and a Mariner's baseball cap. I just spoke to him, and he thought he would be able to sleep better tonight since the pain is more tolerable. Every day he gets through is another day closer to being home, and we focus on that.

Back in Hospital

After I wrote in the blog yesterday evening, Dave ended back in the hospital with temp. of 101.9 and had such a sore throat and mouth (mucositis). It was about midnight when his temp. went up and, thankfully, Orland and Jan were here to take us to the hospital. He is doing much better today and has been put on not only hydration but TPN (nutrition). He's swallowing a little water and was pleased with himself! That brightened my day too. He still isn't complaining and is more concerned about me than himself. Two more brothers arrived today (Robin and Richard) and they will go to the hospital tomorrow and see Dave. I know he is looking forward to the visit, although he won't be able to do too much talking. It sounds like he will be in the hospital for 10-14 days. They take such good care of the patients here and everyone is so kind and helpful.