Post Transplant Day 6
The bacterial infection Karl has is called Clostridium Difficile, or C Diff for short. He still has no fever, so the infection is contained within his bowels and/or intestine, where hopefully it will stay until the Flagyl kills it. Hopefully.
Otherwise everything is pretty much as expected. His neutrophils were 0.2 this morning with the white blood count being 0.3 overall. His hemoglobin stayed pretty much the same as yesterday, but his platelets dropped, but not to the level that requires a transfusion. His potassium was also down below normal so they started adding it to the iv fluids that he was put back on last night. He’s still getting anti-nausea drugs, some dex, Neupogen, and the regulars: antiviral, anti fungal, a sleeping pill and blood thinner. If his platelets drop any more they may decide to hold the Lovenox (blood thinner) for a while, but at today’s level it was ok to keep it in his drug cocktail. He still has diarrhea and nausea, but he hasn’t thrown up. He reports that his mouth may feel a little better, which he attributes to almost constantly sucking on ice when he is awake. Charlene examined his mouth and stated that it looked pretty much the same as yesterday, and thankfully there are no sores. She also examined his bum, which is really raw from the diarrhea. Again, thankfully no sores. He has a topical ointment which he is using regularly.
When any of the nurses come into his room they do the whole gown and glove routine that I do. You put the outfit on outside before you come in, and then you have to take it off in the order described on the wall charts, and put it in the garbage can inside the room. The garbage had to be changed twice today. I’m not supposed to bring anything into the room or take anything out, but there is no where for me to put my coat and purse, so I’m being a rebel. If the misses from infectious control who visited this afternoon finds out I may be taken into custody and quartantined in my own room. Just as long as they don’t expect me to eat the hospital food. If anyone is looking for a business idea - set up a website where patients and family can order and pay for alternate meals that you will deliver. That definitely sets up a two tiered health care system, but according to all the food I see family members arriving with, it’s happening now for those who can.
Otherwise everything is pretty much as expected. His neutrophils were 0.2 this morning with the white blood count being 0.3 overall. His hemoglobin stayed pretty much the same as yesterday, but his platelets dropped, but not to the level that requires a transfusion. His potassium was also down below normal so they started adding it to the iv fluids that he was put back on last night. He’s still getting anti-nausea drugs, some dex, Neupogen, and the regulars: antiviral, anti fungal, a sleeping pill and blood thinner. If his platelets drop any more they may decide to hold the Lovenox (blood thinner) for a while, but at today’s level it was ok to keep it in his drug cocktail. He still has diarrhea and nausea, but he hasn’t thrown up. He reports that his mouth may feel a little better, which he attributes to almost constantly sucking on ice when he is awake. Charlene examined his mouth and stated that it looked pretty much the same as yesterday, and thankfully there are no sores. She also examined his bum, which is really raw from the diarrhea. Again, thankfully no sores. He has a topical ointment which he is using regularly.
When any of the nurses come into his room they do the whole gown and glove routine that I do. You put the outfit on outside before you come in, and then you have to take it off in the order described on the wall charts, and put it in the garbage can inside the room. The garbage had to be changed twice today. I’m not supposed to bring anything into the room or take anything out, but there is no where for me to put my coat and purse, so I’m being a rebel. If the misses from infectious control who visited this afternoon finds out I may be taken into custody and quartantined in my own room. Just as long as they don’t expect me to eat the hospital food. If anyone is looking for a business idea - set up a website where patients and family can order and pay for alternate meals that you will deliver. That definitely sets up a two tiered health care system, but according to all the food I see family members arriving with, it’s happening now for those who can.
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