Day 46 - Out of the icebox

     After five days we're out of the ICU and back in our cozy Aflac unit.  Evan's vitals have continued to remain steady and his blood counts and indicators are trending much better as well.  He still has fevers roughly every 10 - 12 hours, but they seem more manageable since his infection removal surgeries last week.  His platelets, WBC and ANC are either increasing or leveling off.  There is another marker for body inflammation called CRP (c-reactive protein) and his number, while still high, is slowly coming down.  The various surgeries he's had lately are likely the largest contributor to this figure.
     Cristy and I are very appreciative and thankful to the staff in the ICU.  They helped Evan through this rough patch and I know their care and dedication was a big factor in that.  I don't know if all the ICU rooms are as cold as ours was, but the thermostat was literally set to 40.  I'm not saying his room was 40 degrees, but if you told me that you had a thermometer and it said 50 I'd believe you.  The nursing staff up there was fantastic and really made every effort to take Evan's mind off of any discomfort.
     Now we're on to one of the hardest parts of his recovery - waiting.  The ID team is satisfied with his status for now and are still awaiting sinus and blood cultures before determining whether to drop two of his antibiotics in favor of one that will be easier on his body.  The anti-fungals will continue, although with some lower dosages due to how they can interact with his chemo meds.  Chemotherapy for phase 2 began on Saturday night and will continue over the next 26 days.  The medical team is following Evan's status very closely and will adjust the treatment plan as needed to ensure his health.

He's not happy about having his blood drawn.

     As for his other ailments, Evan continues to have stomach problems.  At this point I'm not positive if it's purely the c-diff or if he has other issues, but the GI doctors want to wait until he's negative for the infection before changing any of his treatment.  Evan got the drainage lines removed from his ankle and forearm earlier today and the surgical team was pleased with how things looked.  The plan is to put his foot in a boot later today so that his ankle can heal properly.  I don't think I mentioned it in any previous blog entries, but they also had to drill into the bone in his leg due to an infection.  By doing this blood, and ultimately antibiotics, could reach the infected area.  His lung strength is also improving following the surgery last week.  He's still got a small cough, but the doctors are pleased with where he's at.
     Cristy's prototype shirt arrived in the mail yesterday and other than the actual shirt quality we're pleased with the design.  You should see Cristy and I sporting some of these soon and likely some variation on other items.

My beautiful shirt model sporting her latest creation.

     This roller coaster ride has been taxing and unexpected, but Cristy and I are feeling a little more comfortable with where he's at in his recovery.  There's still much to be done and I suspect we'll be here for a while longer.

We got Evan giggling after getting his new boot.