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.