An Expensive Case of Chicken Pox

"It's about time for another blog post," I told Jeff.

"What are you going to write about?" he asked.

"Oh, I don't know. Our last post was a litany of upcoming doctor visits, cataract surgeries... Now they're happening and all is good, your blood counts are good. I'll mention we have a new blog reader in Sweden who probably needs prayers.  If you think of anything I should write about, let me know."

Have I ever had to search for a blog topic?  I considered posting a brief message, "Boring is good." but instead decided not to write anything until after Oktoberfest on Saturday night. Six years ago Jeff was diagnosed with MDS just before Oktoberfest and this annual tradition has served as a sort of milestone marking Jeff's survival since diagnosis.

Well, we missed Oktoberfest.

Jeff had a low-grade fever Friday morning but thought he was well enough to watch our granddaughters. On Friday afternoon he texted me to say he'd called Son Kerry at work and asked him to relieve him of his childcare duties because he was not feeling well. Wow!  It must be bad. Jeff hadn't felt well for several weeks and had intermittent headache, abdominal pain and fever. I got home from work and saw his bright-red face, took his temperature (100.6) and heard that his stomach pain - just under the rib cage - was worse. We headed to St. Mary's ER.

As I slipped the hospital gown onto his outstretched arms I noticed a couple of spots on his chest. "What's that?" I asked.

"Don't know," he mumbled.

I tied him into his gown and promptly forgot about those spots. Jeff was instructed to drink contrast for a CT of his abdomen. We were told tests with contrast are usually avoided if a patient has kidney issues. Oh, well.

Jeff hadn't eaten, had very little to drink all day and several vials of blood had been drawn so when an IV was started he had a Vasovagal Response. His skin turned an odd yellow color, eyes rolled back in his head and he began to convulse. One nurse in the room quickly became four or five.  After several long seconds, I noticed Jeff's eyes open and I walked into his field of vision.  I watched, fascinated, as he struggled to bring his eyes into focus.  Full awareness returned suddenly and he said, "Did I pass out?" And then, to the staff, "Wasn't that exciting?"

A nurse asked him if he ever had trouble getting an IV and added, "You should be a pro."

Jeff replied, "No. This isn't even my first IV this week!" (Wednesday was his first cataract surgery.)

The episode earned him the use of a heart monitor.

Hours later we learned the CT scan showed inflammation around the pancreas and swollen lymph nodes. Jeff was admitted and, although tests showed no infections were present, antibiotics were begun. Evidently, it is sometimes difficult to detect infection in an immuno-suppressed patient.

Son Kerry and Daughter-in-law Theresa live close to the hospital and offered me the use of a bed. I snuck in at midnight - very, very grateful for that bed.

Saturday morning I noticed a rash on Jeff's back. I alerted the nurse. "It's not hives, exactly," I told her.

"No," she agreed. "We'll have to get the doctor to look at that."

I consulted the blog to see how his last allergic reaction expressed. During a hospitalization in January 2015 he turned very bright red from an antibiotic that his bone marrow donor, Nicole, is allergic to.

A couple of docs looked at the rash and gave no diagnosis.

Meantime, an ultrasound of Jeff's gallbladder was done which we later learned showed gallstones.  These were not a concern right now.

Although I'd planned to go home around noon, there was a possibility of discharge so I waited for a determination. Late in the afternoon Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Poporad arrived with many, many questions about Jeff's symptoms in the previous several weeks and about his current symptoms. The man reminded me of TVs Dr. House who believed "patients lie." We didn't mean to lie but we had almost forgotten about those two spots I'd noticed Friday night. He returned to some of the same questions again and really made us think.

"Are you sure there was no rash when you arrived at the hospital?" he asked.

"His face was bright red but it didn't look like these spots," I reported.

Jeff said, "What about those two spots on my chest?"

Dr. Poporad said, "I really think you have chicken pox!"

Jeff had chicken pox as a kid.  So did Donor Nicole. Dr. Poporad said Jeff's was an unusual case because his immune system - at five years old - is not normal. Jeff did not get shingles like most adults who have the chicken pox virus present in their bodies. The spots are on his back, face, scalp, mouth, ears, chest.  Dr. Poporad believes the abdominal pain is caused by the virus. Jeff, remembering our kids lost a week of school when they had chicken pox, asked how long his hospital stay would be.

"I haven't decided yet," Dr. Poporad said with a grin.

The doc left and immediately nurses swept in with the news that Jeff's room was being upgraded to a double-doored, private, negative-pressure room (which happens to be more spacious and has a great view of the fall foliage at Core Creek Park). Antibiotics were stopped, an anti-viral called Acyclovir (familiar from transplant and recovery) was started.

Jeff noticed this room had a bigger white board for information about his care. The headings included My Physician and My Nurse and Daily Goals. Jeff read "I prefer to be called... Hmm... Grandpop!"

Overnight the abdominal pain escalated to 8 out of 10. His temperature was 102. He waited several hours before he decided to "bother" the nurses for pain meds. Oxicodone, Tylenol and also Zofran for the nausea made things manageable today. All three of our children visited during a good period this morning. An overzealous nurse required us all to don gown, gloves and duck-style mask - even though we'd all had chicken pox. Daughter Kim decided a family portrait was in order. The kids brought lots of that good medicine - laughter.

Dr. Poporad later told me to get rid of "that stuff." The doctors and nurses gown and glove because they are going from room to room. One nurse's aide who hasn't had chicken pox refused to come into the room.

The GI doctor ordered a Lyme panel!  A cardiology consult was ordered because of the fainting episode, because his heart "skipped a couple of beats" while being monitored and because the virus could potentially damage the heart. An echocardiogram has been ordered for tomorrow. Geez! I hope Jeff doesn't add any more challenges!

Dr. Poporad observed the spread of the pox to arms and legs, more postules. He discussed the ways in which Chicken Pox is harder on adults. I told him I was glad Jeff is here at the hospital and that we weren't trying to deal with it at home like we could with our children. The proper meds are being administered (including his post-op eye drops) so we just need to wait for healing.

Jeff's goal is to try to eat more.  Applesauce is not a great dinner but it's a start.