Day Zero Plus Eleven – Prison Break-Out

When I got to the hospital today, Jeff looked a lot better than I expected and a lot better than he did last night.  He was alert and talking to his nurse.  When I suggested we get him into the shower while he was awake, he grumbled.  He did not feel up to a shower but he didn’t have one yesterday and they like him to wash his whole body with antiseptic wash every day so there was no getting around it, he needed to bathe.  It would have to wait, though, until after his CT scan.

A CT scan of his lungs was ordered because of the fever.  That cannot be done at bedside so, Road Trip!  Or at least Elevator and Dungeon Hallway Trip.  I was determined to keep Jeff awake to appreciate the change of scenery along the way which included two works of MRI art and a bas relief sculpture in an otherwise bland, long, narrow hallway.  He didn’t seem to have any trouble staying awake.  It felt like we were breaking him out of prison.

When we returned to the room, I noticed that the nurse had changed the bed.  He isn’t allowed to get into a clean bed dirty so I suggested bathing him with a basin of water while he sat in the chair.  He wasn’t happy about that option either and griped and complained a bit.  A chair had been placed in his shower stall so he decided a shower was the best choice.  He took the quickest shower in history and, while getting dressed, he had a little bloody nose and threw up.  Then he flopped back into bed.

Later we learned the x-ray and CT scan showed nothing remarkable.  We also learned that Jackie, the transplant coordinator, would not be happy to learn that Jeff is spending so much time in bed.  We were told he should be spending more of the daytime in a chair and biking than in bed and, if Jackie had anything to say about it, the bed would be removed!  Surely that is just a threat and they don’t actually do that?!  The social worker who stopped in today said she had heard that rumor, too, and figured it was an urban legend.  Jeff did manage to sit in the chair for about 10 minutes (hunched over and holding his head for most of the time) and then he biked for five minutes and returned to bed.

Jeff has lost 18 pounds.  The goal is for him to take in 1,000 calories per day.  Today he ate about 850. 

Late in the afternoon Jeff received two units of platelets.  Nurse Deb stayed in the room while it was being transfused in case he had another reaction.  No problems, thank goodness.  I was concerned that they would dope him up with excessive Benedryl because of his reaction last week but Deb assured me that they wouldn’t do that unless he had an allergic reaction to platelets more than once.  Maybe he’ll feel a lot better tomorrow with the help of these platelets.

Keith and Addie visited in the evening after I had left the hospital.  I know he appreciated the visit because time is dragging on so slowly for him.

For a few years now, Kim has volunteered for an event of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  Her friend and co-worker, Helen, is a survivor and is very involved with The Dude Hates Cancer bowling fundraiser.  Kim just told me that she has put together a team of her cousins for this year’s event in August.  That is awesome!  However, by doing so, she has lost some of her own sponsors because they are now participants, too.  Stay tuned for more news about that.