Friday, April 13, 2007
Update # 106
Day Plus 122
Good Evening,
Jeff's 8:30 AM appointment was with the cardiologist. The doctor basically told Jeff, "Nothing against you but I hope I never see you again". Jeff's heart is doing fine right now and the doctor said there is no reason for a follow up visit as this point. If Dr. DiPersio thinks a problem is starting or if Jeff has problems in the future (from chemo/radiation), then the cardiologist will see Jeff.
Jeff's lab work went fairly quickly today but he had to return later at the end of the nurse practitioner's appointment since those cultures from Monday the 9th did not show up in his file. Jeff's red blood was again holding its own. So, no units of blood today. That means in about 5 five weeks, Jeff has needed only 1 unit of blood -- and that was a precaution before the Iowa trip. Even though the antibody level remained the same on the 2nd, the nurse practitioner feels Jeff's blood is beginning to "flip". They'll check the antibody level again on the 23rd. And all other blood levels are in the normal range!
The anti-rejection level more than doubled again (maybe explains the sleepiness) so the dosage returns to the low one Jeff had been on for many weeks.
Jeff's decrease in appetite and the fatigue still presents some questions so they are putting him on Prednisone till the 23rd to see if that jump starts things. He had not been on any since the transplant and we were hoping to avoid Prednisone altogether so we pray this is just short term.
The legs are another concern they are still watching. Since that last shot was March 12th, Jeff's legs should be getting better. They will wait a bit longer to see if he improves before starting medication that can help with symptoms. This could be a residual problem from the meds that can be temporary or a possibly permanent situation.
We received the other results from the Day 100 bone marrow biopsy -- Jeff is still 100% donor in the marrow. Everything looked just great.
After Jeff rested a bit when we returned home, we went to church for the annual spaghetti supper. Jeff did not do any work but enjoyed visiting with some people in town he had not seen in a while.
Jeff is praying that when this blood "flips" and he is making red blood cells, his body will return to normal and then all these other concerns will just disappear. We pray that is exactly the way it happens for him. He so wants to return to his own life.
Your prayers have been a strength during these many months and we pray you continue to offer your words to God. We could not do all this without you and our faith in God. Thanks for caring.
love,
Marcia