Penthouse Suite

The Lord has been gracious… Danny has definitely improved over the past few days. The IV medications work so much better suppressing his nausea & vomiting. In the beginning of the week he did have a few rough vomiting episodes but the past couple of days he has only been fighting the severe nausea. Thankfully he has been able to call the nurse for a shot of Phenergan. This medication is not scheduled but can be administered as needed within reason. This extra medication seems to work well and get everything under control… At least for a while.

Danny’s white blood count is climbing back up to a more acceptable range. The last they checked it was back up to 2.4 and that is a wonderful answer to prayer. We need it to be in the range of 4-6 when we leave so that he is not susceptible to infections.

The doctors decided they needed to take another look at his stomach, esophagus, gall bladder, kidneys & liver just to be sure there wasn’t something else going on that was contributing to the nausea. They ran another EGD (I think) and also took a biopsy of the stomach & esophagus. They did not find anything new but found that both his stomach and esophagus were severely irritated. The test showed pretty bad lesions from the vomiting including an ulcer in his esophagus. The ultrasound showed all the organs are fine. This is good news in that we are still only dealing with the repercussions of the chemo drugs. However, it is proving to be a hurdle we must overcome in finding something he can eat. The GI doctors want him stay away from broths, fruits, basically anything acidic that will agitate the damaged areas. But he needs to start off with those types of food for his stomach and nausea.

Popsicles have been the food of choice the past couple of days. Danny has been able to eat about ½ of a popsicle and keep it on his stomach. Some of the thicker soups have been tough so he has taken only a few bites. I have to give him credit though, he is trying to eat. I look forward to the day when he can actually sit down to enjoy a meal… I know he does.

Friends have made comments like “I know you are disappointed you are back in the hospital” or “I hate you are back in the hospital, I know you would much rather be at home”. Yes, I am disappointed because I was hoping Danny would be doing better and not feel so bad. Yes, I would rather be at home BUT it is so much easier for me with him being here. I do not have to stress about keeping his meds on schedule, about whether or not he is dehydrating, about preparing his TPN feedings and most of all I don’t have to stress about his well being. The nurses take care of all that, thank the Lord. We do miss our children, especially now since they are not allowed in the hospital with the H1N1 restrictions. We would rather be in the comfort of our own home but his being here is for the best.

The accommodations are not too bad either… we have moved to the penthouse suite! We have a large room with 2 windows, 2 TVs and lots of room. Our pastor asked “are you being rewarded for frequent flyer miles?” It is funny that we were here for a month in the smallest room on the floor and this trip we are blessed with a large room. We might get to go home over the weekend or the first of the week if he continues to improve.

We are so thankful for the many blessings we have experienced through this tough time. So many friends & family members have come along side us to help in so many ways. You have met our needs in so many areas of our lives. We know there is no way we can repay you but please know that we are so grateful. To Danny’s friends & co-workers at GE… thank you so much for your compassionate generosity! Your thinking of our family touched our hearts and means so much. Danny misses seeing everyone… I know that he is looking forward to the day when he can return to work.

It is amazing how small things that you take for granted everyday can turn out to be great blessings that you are thankful for when you go through something that allows your perspective to change.