you've never seen a reaction like this one!

Well, while it has been good to be back home, not all has gone as planned. I knew when I came home I was having a reaction to one of the drugs I received while I was an inpatient at Dartmouth over New Year's. It was only this past weekend that I began to understand how serious it was When I received this same drug last time, just after my 2nd transplant, and had a very similar reaction, it subsided in about a week, so I didn't think much of the skin issues I'd been having this past week. However, I woke up on Sat. with pain in my mouth, and thought "this was not part of the deal last time!" I called the doc at Dartmouth this morning, and they wanted me to see the oncologist in Brunswick ASAP, so we went down there this afternoon (yes, all of us, as Lisa wanted to hear what was said, and the 2 kids love seeing all of Daddy's doctors!)
They have come to the consensus that I am having a very extreme (and very rare, but previously documented) reaction to one of the 2 antibiotics they gave me while I was hospitalized. My skin has been drying, cracking, and peeling, and while that has started to resolve itself, it has also spread to my mouth this time, causing swelling of my tongue, and ulcers on the inside of my mouth such that it is difficult to drink, much less eat. As long as nothing is in my mouth, I have very little pain! How's that for a weight loss plan? I received IV fluids today, as they think I am dehydrated due to the pain of getting fluids down, and I also received some IV steroids to help with the swelling and inflammation. I have to return tomorrow morning to Brunswick to repeat the treatment, and they will then decide if I need to return Fri. for a third and final treatment. They are also giving me a different med (that I am about to try as soon as I am done typing this!) for sleep, and I hope this one works. I have not fallen asleep before any night in the last week, and until yesterday, had gotten no more than 3 hours of sleep any night, with 2 nights during the week being completely sleepless. They are not sure if this is related to the drug reaction or not, but think this new med should make me sleep in any case. If all goes according to their plan, I should be feeling better by the end of the week, so I am hoping and praying that this treatment plan works...and soon. Please pray with me toward that end.

headed home!

I have improved enough that we are headed home to Maine today! I am still not quite where I was before being admitted last Wednesday, but almost, and I feel well enough to travel, so we're flying the coop here in Claremont and heading home! We hope to be home for dinner, and I'll update later in the week as to how things go once we land back at home. Keep praying as I (again!) recover.

better today!

After getting a much needed night of sleep (as much as you can get in a hospital!), I am feeling better today and have had no fever since yesterday morning. The docs determined today that I have human metapneumovirus, which is in the same family as RSV, and can cause bronchitis and/or pneumonia. There is now disagreement as to whether I actually have (or had?) pneumonia, but with my sinus symptoms and the cough, they needed to check things out. My reading on this particular virus says that almost all infants have it at some point, most without symptoms, and others with cold or flu-like symptoms, and their body fights it off naturally. Not so for me, who is still building a functioning immune system. Well, as they say, Rome wasn't built in a day, either, and the docs have told me it would be at least a full year before I had even a minimally functioning immune system. So, we will pray for no fever tonight, and then they should let me out of "Hotel Hitchcock" tomorrow - on Lisa's birthday. They have already asked us, if I am released tomorrow to stay in Claremont until Monday to make sure nothing else pops up. I'll gladly do it if it means being out of here!

what a way to start the New Year!

I sit and write tonight from the friendly confines of Dartmouth...again. After celebrating Christmas with Lisa's family on Monday, I came here for a regularly scheduled doctor's visit yesterday, and with a cough that had not gotten better in 2 weeks, they ordered a chest x-ray, which revealed a case of double pneumonia (both lungs). I was somewhat surprised because I had not had any fevers and felt pretty good, but all of that changed after getting checked in here yesterday afternoon. I spiked a high fever last night and vomited, and slept very little all night. I felt a little better earlier today, but am now feeling like the fever is returning, and I have been unable to eat anything all day. Please pray that the docs can figure out what's going on, treat it properly, and get me out of here quickly.