Setback

I’ve been struggling with fever and GI issues over the past week with frequent clinic visits for various testing (all negative!), but it got so bad to the point of having to go to the ER yesterday. I’ve been receiving a full infection work-up, started 2 iv antibiotics, and got a CT scan of my chest/belly which revealed significant inflammation in my colon. They consulted the gastroenterology team and are working closely with my oncology team. Thankful for the good care I'm receiving.

The plan is to get a biopsy done through a colonoscopy. This will be only way to confirm what’s going on in there esp. since all other tests have come back negative. They are suspecting either a bacterial infection or GVHD since I’ve recently stopped my immunosuppressive meds (tacro). If it’s a bacterial infection, we’ll know better how to focus treatment with antibiotics. If GVHD, then we would restart steroids and tacro. Appreciate your continued prayers. 


Also, please please pray for Ryan and his family. Ryan’s been down the street at a nearby hospital ICU recovering after another surgery to cut out about half of one of his thigh muscles. He has a serious and life-threatening condition which destroys your soft tissue. Thankfully, they were able to act quickly and have salvaged most of his thigh muscles but this infection could be rampant. He will most likely need multiple surgeries for cleaning and checking for additional dead muscle. Their main 3 immediate goals are to get the infection under control, save his leg, and save his life. And they are hoping to get him off his breathing tube soon. With covid, there’s no visitors allowed. It breaks my heart that Ryan can't have any family with him through all of this esp. as he's still so young.

Comments

  1. KyleFebruary 2, 2021 at 3:54 AM

    Praying for both you and Ryan, Joe. As always, thanks for keeping us updated. Prayers for a quick diagnosis and some relief, friend.

    ReplyDelete
  2. jamieFebruary 4, 2021 at 8:55 AM

    Oh, gosh, so sorry to hear of this setback, Joe, and about Ryan. That is so heartbreaking. Will be praying.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Powerback! 💪

Image
After almost 3.5 years since my diagnosis, I’ll be returning to the work that I love. I’ll be starting a job this week with a company called “Powerback” where I’ll be doing home care visits providing physical therapy… ironic name considering the past several years of battling cancer.  😅   I’m excited and grateful for not only this particular opportunity but just the privilege of being able to return to work as a PT, as there were many times when I questioned whether I’d be able to have the strength and endurance to do this again. So, my excitement is tempered by a sense of nervousness as I consider what I’ve been through and it’s just been such a long time! But I feel ready and take this next step of reintegration back to life in faith, knowing that God must have a plan for me.  The initial thought of potentially doing home care PT crossed my mind while I was receiving home care nursing visits myself. I got to know many of my awesome nurses quite well and so appreciated their compassi
Read more

Perspective on the infamous “IV pole”

Image
Not very “gown-friendly”  🙅🏻 This IV pole has often been the bane of my existence while in the hospital. I’ve never used that term before but needed to stretch my vocabulary that much to find something that expresses my dread of it. For it’s often felt like a literal ball and chain stuck to my side, as I drag it along wherever I go. And it lets me know (painfully) when I forget it’s there like in the middle of the night when having to rush to the bathroom... OUCH! And, it reminds me of my weakness, my disability, and ultimately my cancer.  One day I was cold so I reached for a hoodie but I forgot about my IV pole. Btw, that’s why all my pictures in the hospital usually are with a T-shirt on! This IV pole is a pain but just like many other things I’ve gotten used to in this battle, it’s a necessary evil as it holds the bags of medicine and fluids that my body needs to fight. So maybe a better more helpful perspective might be to see it as my  body armor ... heavy and cumber
Read more

Ringing the bell! 🔔

Image
I haven’t written a blog post for a while so wanted to share some exciting updates. A couple weeks ago, our family celebrated a greatly anticipated milestone called a bell-ringing ceremony which marked my dear niece Tabitha’s completion of treatment for her leukemia! It was a long two year battle which often felt like a bad dream. Tabby is a true fighter and couldn’t be more proud of her as well as her family.  💪 During the ceremony, her doctor shared a heartwarming tribute to Tabby’s courage and perseverance. And after Tabby rang the bell to the roar of cheers from our family and the staff, there was an image that will forever be etched in my memory… that is of Tabby and my brother Dan embracing each other in tears as the flood of emotions overwhelmed them. I started getting teary-eyed even as we just drove to the hospital that day, so I can only imagine how it must have felt to stand there ringing the bell in the place where they had endured so many difficult days and nights, filled
Read more