Day +5 Post Transplant

Hello fellow blog watchers.  Writing is not easy, sending updates routinely takes creative discipline which I find quite challenging.

These last 2 or 3 days have been days of not knowing if symptoms are normal or not.  Everyone responds differently to transplant, there is no specific list of absolutes when it comes to symptoms.  

Communicating with nurses moreso than with doctors has been stretching and has required much prayer on my own part.  Typicallly, the nurses work 3 days max with a patient and rotate, they begin the cycle again and eventually we see many of the same nurses.  We don't always see things the same; although there point of view is more clinical and it should be, this person in their care is very near and dear to my heart and wanting and expecting only the very best care is my goal.  Discerning that and keeping my mind focused on asking the right questions at moments of concern is something I pray for daily and I ask that you pray that for me as well.

We have had thus far a very trusting and comforting experience here at City of Hope.

There continues to be no rash, no fever, no nausea, vitals like blood pressure are good and stable, oxygen saturation is good and weight has been remaining steady.

Clif has experienced: swelling so they give lasix, problem urinating so they catheterize, pressure in the lower abdomen, while the plumbing in the back is working just fine.......many drugs are given to try to control out put.  Intake and outake of fluids and foods is very carefully and precisely measured.  He is on a drip program for pain with the option every 30 minutes to push for more pain medication.  Many of the drugs he takes for Graft vs Host (GVH) causes dilerium, now add pain medication on top of that and Clif has mild hallucinations (doctors say this will pass as meds are adjusted).  It is all expected yet each case is different.  Because each case is different, you have no template, no history of what to absolutely expect.  This is very foreign territory.  I do not like being in this mental place of uncertainty.  

For those of you looking for a projection or timeframe of when Clif should be more stable and out of the red zone, heres my best guestimate;  from day of transplant April 29th,  2-3 weeks of up and down unknowns and God willing we may arrive at calmer seas.

We have and continue to receive excellent medical care.  The team of doctors we have and who give deep insight and decision making into Clifs future health are experts!  I do not doubt at all that we are right where we are suppose to be.

Forecasting accurately and not knowing what will happen next are stark contrasts, although we may be uncertain of the next step, we are certain that God does and we rest.  We are not uncertain of God we are just uncertain of what He is going to do next. (excerpt from My Utmost For His Highest)

"We live by faith, not by sight"    2Corinthians 5:7