Finally Gaining - November 8, 2006 - Day +179

After 10 days of being in the hospital and a port placed, Jack has gained 2 pounds!!!!! He came here weighing 12.7kg/27.9lbs and he now weighs 14.0kg/30.8lbs. What a difference the IV nutrition has made. Right now we're watching Jack's leg, since yesterday his left leg has presented with some redness and throwing off some heat and of course the first thing we think of is cellulitis and we've been waiting for a temperature to spike and so far no temp. Today his leg is starting to be less red and he still hasn't had a temperature higher then 99 and they won't treat unless he spikes over 101. So keep your fingers crossed, knocking on wood and praying that he doesn't spike a temp.

We've had a little scare over the last couple of day with his counts. They really dropped into the toilet and he hasn't shown any reason for his counts to drop, so the possibility of his fighting this infection in his leg could be why his counts are low. They are starting to get a little better and just to make sure the doctors sent some bloodwork out for engraphment studies to make sure he is still 100% donor. Again, cross, knock and pray!!!!!!!!

Otherwise, Jack is such a trip, his bed tray is constantly filled with food, he eats non-stop and his gut seems to be tolerating the food. We have the first room as you come on the the BMT floor and he likes to have his door wide open so he can see everyone walking on and off the floor. Tracey, Denny and Kim (aka the Kookadoos) come by and talk loud and play music and dance.

I sent out that mass email last week when we got admitted because of the website being down and I was so happy to hear from so many of my friends. Thank you all so much for responding back to me and letting me know you are keeping us in your prayers.

To my NEMO families who I haven't written to in a while, please forgive me for not having been in contact, for some reason I am having difficulties with sending out emails from my comcast email address here in the hospital so I hope all is well with you.

Please keep Jacob Treebeard and Simon in your thoughts and prayers as they have started their way through transplant. As well as our friend Alyssa who has been here for the past month and just came out of the PICU.

The following quotes/passage were sent to me via email this week and I wanted to share them with you.

Sent by a great friend
As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.
Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.
~anonymous~

Sent to me by my pastor (Rev. Jeff Markay)
"Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime; therefore, we must be saved by hope. Nothing which is true, or beautiful, or good, makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore, we must be saved by faith. Nothing we do, however virtuous, could be accomplished alone; therefore, we must be saved by love. No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as it is from our own standpoint; therefore, we must be saved by the final form of love, which is forgiveness."
a passage from the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr's work, The Irony of American History