Day 42 - Rapidly changing developments

     There have been many significant changes and findings since my last update.  After I left yesterday afternoon Evan was napping and apparently his oxygen and breathing (Stridor Score) made the doctors in the Oncology units uneasy so him and Cristy were sent packing for the ICU.  While this might seem like a step backwards I'm actually somewhat relieved.  The teams in the ICU are staffed for more hands-on care and are probably better equipped to handle the various ailments that Evan seems to be experiencing.

Sleeping off a fever after surgery.

     Late yesterday afternoon Evan's fecal sample was analyzed and c-diff was confirmed.  The ID team promptly added oral vanc to his antibiotics and we've already seen an improvement in the severity of his stomach pain.  Obviously it won't kill it all overnight, but the pain and discomfort that has plagued his abdomen for the last two months is slowly fading away.
     In addition to that the orthopedic surgeon came by to check out Evan's ankle yesterday.  This has been an off and on problem since our 2nd week here and intermittently has caused mobility problems.  They confirmed that his joint and bone were infected and performed surgery early this morning.  After speaking with the surgeon post-op he has indicated they'll probably go back in Saturday morning and drain any remaining pus before suturing the entry point back up.  In the meantime he has a drainage line and pump attached to his ankle to assist with the healing process.  While he was under anesthesia they decided to remove the other pus filled regions on his limbs.  This will aid him quite a bit and should reduce his recovery time.  We're still awaiting detailed biopsy results from his skin lesions and lung tissue.

Evan has had three limbs and chest operated on this week.

     The Oncology team has decided to hold off chemo for another week.  Evan's body needs more time to recover before negatively affecting his blood counts.  We spoke at great length with his NP this morning and she felt that since he was already in the low risk category due to age and how his marrow has responded that we're probably fine holding off one more week.  Worst case scenario they would alter his next phase to keep him on track without completely nullifying his immune system.
     On to some positive news.  The OR team came by this afternoon and performed the removal of his lung support tube.  This was used initially to help drain fluid from his chest and prevent his lung from collapsing in the event of a leak.  The doctors had him attached yesterday, but without the pump running and came back this afternoon and removed it completely.  They'll do one more chest x-ray tomorrow to make sure everything looks stable before clearing him as healthy.  The surgeon estimates he'll need another two weeks before it's completely sealed.

Getting his chest tube removed - we're free of the pump!

     This last week has been one of the most trying ones yet for Evan, Cristy and I.  As one would expect Evan has been in significant pain for a number of reasons and the only relief is morphine, which puts him in a doped up state.  Watching Evan suffer with seemingly little progress was beginning to take its toll on us.  I'm so fortunate to have Cristy on this journey with me as I would certainly stumble and fall if I was doing this alone.  It's amazing what people are capable of when they have no other choice but to be strong.  Have we turned the corner?  We'll have to wait and see.

     I wanted to wish my dad a happy 69th birthday today!  Ideally we'd love to celebrate properly, but I'm hopeful we'll be able to do so soon as a whole family in the future.  This experience has hit my family so fast that we really haven't had much time to sit down and reflect on the impact.  Make sure to kiss your loved ones, hold them a little tighter and appreciate the little things.  In honor of my dad's birthday I leave you with an old country song that we listened to while I was growing up.  One of my father's legacies on me is I still enjoy classic country to this day.  The song is One Day Left to Live by Sammy Kershaw.