"Nurse Mom"

Daddy's CT scan on Monday was normal -- yay! Apparently, there is a small blood clot near his liver (that they knew about but Mom forgot to mention to me a while back) that has gotten a little smaller, and will likely take 6 mo. of being on a blood thinner to dissolve but appears to be stable. They put the PICC line in and Mom learned how to do the infusions of the antibiotic. I've been teasing her that she'll be ready to get her nursing degree after this. Daddy is sounding more like himself and acting more like himself each day. I noticed on Sunday that his cheeks don't seem so sunken in. And he ate a whole Chick-fil-a sandwich the other day! He's also getting a little bored (which, personally, I think is a good sign). He enjoys visitors so if you want to call them and swing by, I think they would appreciate it. We continue to be so appreciative of all the prayers and practical support we've received.

Examples of "normal"

They determined that Daddy has 2 infections, and they have isolated them. The plan to treat them includes multiple antibiotics and inserting another PICC line on Monday. Daddy will also have yet another CT scan Monday to assess why his stomach is still so bloated. Otherwise, he is feeling much better and doing more normal things such as...
1. Having Sunday lunch with us, sitting in his normal spot at the dining room table and eating a normal lunch.
2. Using his cell phone again to make and receive calls (there was a little delay in this one because Mom accidentally washed it and despite all their efforts could not revive it. She had to go get him a new phone so he is up and running again).
3. Going out with a friend to get another wine-making kit (Thanks, Tim!).
4. Hosting people for dinner at their house last night. Daddy said it was "GREAT!"
He still gets tired easily but is plugging along and working hard despite getting weary. Every little step forward makes a difference these days!

Grrr....

So, I'm starting to think that I should stay away from posts that give any kind of positive qualitative statement about how Daddy is doing. After I posted yesterday, Daddy ended up at the doctor where they determined that he still has the blood infection, and apparently has an infection in his lungs (mild pneumonia?) as well. He was continuing to have chills and a mild fever off and on, and generally felt miserable yesterday. They gave him a shot, added back an antibiotic and continued another. They also determined that his blood was too thin (he's been on blood thinner due concerns about the blood clot in his leg from his hospital stay) so they adjusted his medication. Today he said he felt "human" again. He has an appointment at the infectious disease doctor on Monday. He continues to eat regularly, even sending Mom out to get him ice cream at Chick-fil-a, and his digestive system seems to be working fairly normally. The physical therapist has been several times this week. We are glad that Daddy was feeling better today or else our "spa day" might not have been so relaxing. Mom, Wendi and I had a very fun time -- Mom really needed to be pampered!

Continuing to Move Forward

Not much has changed, hence no new posts recently. Daddy continues to work on eating and moving around. He had a follow up appointment at the doctor (his PCP) on Monday, and blood tests showed that his white cell count was dropping significantly, which we took as a good sign that the antibiotic is working. He did have some chills and a slight fever yesterday, but seemed ok by the end of the day. Pray that his body and the antibiotics can effectively fight this infection once and for all. He's still very weak but even had a couple of short outings this week and continues to move forward. Wendi and I are taking Mom for a "spa day" tomorrow to celebrate her birthday a little late, and Daddy surprised her and took her this week to pick up the ring he bought her for her birthday. So, slowly, we are returning to more normal activities, and hopeful that Daddy will continue to gain strength and stamina.

Hanging in There

Well, now we know what kind of infection he has -- it has a name but I can't remember it -- the blood cultures did grow some bacteria so hopefully they can treat this more specifically. Basically, they have confirmed that Daddy has a blood infection so they have added an antibiotic to hopefully knock it out. He has a follow up appointment at one doctor tomorrow, and likely will have more during the week. He's holding up ok (as of this afternoon), but is having a hard time sleeping. He has been diligent about eating and drinking though, and still takes laps around the house. And he finally got a much needed haircut today (thanks to Wendi!), so he's not looking quite as wild and woolly!

Still Fighting

Well, it appears that Daddy is still fighting the so-far unspecified infection. He has had chills and a fever off and on for the past 2 days so today he went in for some bloodwork and another chest X-ray. They started him on another antibiotic and agreed that as long as his temperature stays down, he's eating and drinking, and they stay in touch with the dr. about any changes, he can stay home. So far he's stable. I assume it will be early next week before we have the results of the bloodwork. Hopefully, since he's been off of antibiotics for most of the week, the cultures will be more conclusive and they can know what they are treating. Otherwise, he was doing well -- eating and drinking more every day and "taking laps" between the kitchen and the living room. Whatever is going on with this infection is making him weak, though, and it is discouraging to continue to watch him do well and then digress. I know he's weary of it, too. Will update as able...

Home Sweet Home

Daddy got to come home today! He sounded good when I talked to him on the phone tonight and, while tired, he is relieved to finally be home. He will have a home health nurse come in a couple of times to check on him and also he will have physical therapy at home until they transition him to outpatient. He is not on any IVs or tube feeds, and is eating normally. The challenge will be for him to keep up his food and liquid intake, and get moving slowly so that he can regain his strength. Right now, we are still figuring out what Mom and Dad's day-to-day will look like so we'll update as we know more and when they are ready for visitors. Pray that no infections pop back up, and that he will continue to move forward. I think we are all longing for some sense of normalcy, and are starting to feel like it's a possibility in the not-so-distant future.