As we approach Easter weekend, we know we will be spending the Holy Day here in the hospital.  We had hoped for a possibility of being out by Sunday but knew it would need a perfect recovery.  It has not been as we hoped. 

There is good news and I think best to start with that. I don’t want to under emphasize how important it is. When you have a bone marrow transplant,  the key to it working is having the marrow engraft. You know this is happening when the counts start to rebuild itself. Jen’s white count has grown from .1 at the beginning of the week, to .81 today. But even more important, the ANC or neutrafills (part of the white cells) has grown over 500. In order for Jen to be released and to fight off infections, this is important.  So engraftment is beginning to take place.

Also Jen’s soduim that had dipped dangerously low are almost back to normal. However this dip has caused Jen some delirleum.  Of all the things we have to deal with this hospital stay, for me this has been the hardest.  Over the last several days, there has been some improvement but Jen continues to hallucinate, especially when at the edge of falling asleep and is iratible. Today she does seem more cognitive, which gives me hope her brain will restore itself in time.

Also Jen’s cough has been a problem for much too long. Today they think her lungs sound crackly so chest xray has been ordered. If there is fluid there, they will start lasix to pull that fluid off and hopefully get her lungs 100%. We are still waiting on that chest xray result. 

Jen also will get a transfusion of red platelets  (hemoglobin ) today. With her being short of breath,  I’m hoping this helps that improve also. 

We also are trying to get the nausea under control and Jen eating again. She hasn’t eaten much in a good two weeks and she needs the protein in her.  

Doctor is hopeful to have her strong enough to move to outpatient by mid next week. She has some work to get there bUT with her engraftment starting to occur, we are hopeful.