Dad and Ally

Dad and Jared

Dad doing better!

We've just come home from a visit to Mom and Dad and I am happy to report that Dad is doing quite a bit better, he looks so much better too! This is an answer to our prayers! 

He is off the morphine and the oxygen so there are no more tubes around his face. With help he can get out of bed and walk around a bit. He has lost a lot of weight but today he looked like Dad again. He doesn't remember much of the last few weeks (thanks to the morphine) but he did laugh tonight when I told him some of the things he said last week. 

He does have two bags of food they are feeding him via the Hickman line and for now all he can take orally is water. He still has trouble with diarrhea so until that gets better he can't have solid food. He is hungry for some things which is great news but what's funny is that he's now craving the fruit candy Uncle Ron loves.

We are very excited to report that the doctors are actually mentioning going home. He does have to start eating and get the diarrhea under control (sorry if this is over-share but it is what it is!) and his counts have to continue to climb but if they do he can go home! They've even mentioned in or around the next 10 days! Dad is so wanting to go home and after 7 weeks in the hospital he is very motivated to get to that day.   

He is up for visitors but we do ask if you'd like to visit to please schedule it with Ed or Ang de Haan. They are coordinating the visits so it doesn't get to be too much for Mom or Dad.

We do know that anything can change but we praise our Heavenly Father for what he has done for Dad. Give thanks to the Lord for He is good! 

Counts are climbing nicely!

Just a quick update to let you know Dad's transplant counts are climbing nicely! His white blood cells are at 10.1 (should be 4-11), the hemoglobin is at 86 (should be 135-170) and the platelets are at 71 (should be 150-400). The white blood cells are especially important because they are continually on the lookout for signs of disease.  Whenever a germ or infection enters the body, the white blood cells snap to attention and race toward the scene of the crime. 

Although there are other side effects he is dealing with right now we are so thankful that his body has accepted the transplant and that he is able to fight infections. 

We have been told that there is a possibility that Dad will be getting GVHD (graft versus host disease) which is a complication that can occur after a bone marrow transplant in which the newly transplanted material attacks his body. There are several symptoms that will occur and then the doctors will treat him in order to suppress his immune response without damaging the new bone marrow.

We do not know when this will happen but we pray his body will be able to fight and overcome this disease. We do know by his counts that he has grafted nicely and we praise God for this!

Rough few nights

There is not much new to report. Dad has had a rough couple of nights and as a result sleeps most of the day. We are not sure of the reason but right now he is suffering from diarrhea again. As a result he is not as active and makes for a long and tiring day. 

They have taken out the feeding tube and have been giving him nutrition via the Hickman line.

We are hopeful this uncomfortable side effect will soon be over. 

A good improvement

Today was a very good day for Dad. He got out of bed with help and was walking around a bit which he hasn't done in a long time. 

He had a little bit of soup and some chocolate milk but they haven't resumed feeding through the tube yet. They want to see if he will start eating solid food which is always better than via the tube. 

 

They also took out the catheter which is very good news. Dad is committed to getting better and he wants so much to get out of the hospital and go home. He often jokes about making a secret operation to have us help him escape, even just to go to Tim Hortons for coffee.

His counts continue to climb little by little and we are so thankful for this!

That's it for today. We're so thankful for the progress Dad has made, our prayers are being answered! 

Feeling nauseous

Once again it's been a busy day for Dad so far. He's had another chest x-ray among all the other tests they've needed to perform. He has some fluid in his lungs and they do this x-ray to keep an eye on the fluid level.

The nausea medication they gave him yesterday has not proven successful as the food he has had did not stay down. This is discouraging as we were hoping the food would settle in nicely via the tube and give him more strength. We're hopeful as the days pass Dad may be able to get some sort of nutrition.

The fluid around his stomach has also increased again today and they are testing it to see what's going on. We need to be patient and wait to hear from the doctors as to some of these tests.

On a good note, Dad's counts are back up again today. He's back to 5.1 for the white blood cells and the others are still high enough that he doesn't need a blood transfusion.

Thank you all for your prayers; please also pray for Mom as these days of uncertainty can be emotionally draining for her.

Another busy day

Today was a busy day for Dad again. There always seems to be a lot of nurses and doctors coming in and out checking his vitals etc. which takes time and makes it a busy day for him. 

Late Friday afternoon Dad got a feeding tube put in. He has been unable to eat much and the doctors were worried he would lose too much weight. He was on TPN (total parenteral nutrition) which provided nutrition through the veins but there were complications with this and as a result Dad has not had any real means of nutrition for 15 days. He has now been getting very small amounts of food via the tube. This morning Dad started feeling nauseous and now he is getting medication for the nausea. 

That's about all there is to report. We are all taking things one day at a time and thanking the Lord when Dad has a 'good' day. We do not know what lies ahead but we are looking to Him for all we need. Thanks to all of  you for your words of encouragement; it means more than words can say!

A good day

Yesterday was a relatively good day for Dad. His counts were up and towards the end of the day the doctor informed us his liver is doing much better. The liver is the only organ that is capable of natural regeneration so even as little as 25% of a liver can regenerate into a whole liver. How complex the human body is! We praise God for this!

Dad sat up in a chair again this morning. He is still quite weak but with help can get out of bed and it nice to see him able to do this more and more each day. He's now singing a little bit with the cd I have playing, he likes to sing along in harmony. This is classic Dad and is nice to hear!

His counts are a little lower today but he was dehydrated yesterday so the extra fluid they are giving him has altered his counts a bit. We are hoping by Monday he will back to having his kidneys functioning better again too.

There is not much else to report; we are so very thankful to the Almighty Healer that Dad is much better than last Saturday. He gave us all a good scare last weekend and since then has definately moved in the right direction. There will still be rough days ahead but we are trusting in our Lord for his guidance and protection. Psalm 23 has come to mind this week and has been a comfort!

A busy morning

This morning was very busy for Dad. There were lots of doctors and nurses taking up time and space in his room so there was no time for me to update the blog until now.

His transplant counts continue to climb, he's at 5.1 on the white blood cells so this means his body will be able to fight infections. His hemoglobin and platelets are not in range yet but are still up enough that he doesn't need a blood transfusion. How nice it is for Dad to have one less thing.

He got out of bed yesterday afternoon and also this morning with the help of someone from physio. It's so wonderful to see him sitting in a chair! He does some leg and arm exercises but is so stiff that the movements are very slow. Every little bit counts and I know he feels better getting out of bed. Now he is sleeping soundly after a rough and busy morning.

They are still monitoring the fluid build up around his stomach but it has become less which means his kidneys are functioning better. The doctors are still concerned about his liver, he is still quite jaundiced and is still on oxygen.

Thank you again for all the cards and blog comments; they especially help Mom and give her a boost on the rough days. Dad is still only at the start of his long journey and the encouragement and prayers from friends and family give them the strength they need for this journey.

Day 29 after transplant...a long road ahead

Today is so far looking about the same as yesterday. It's my feeling that Dad will be having a lot of days like these. We knew this would be a long journey but I don't think anyone knew exactly what to expect. The numbers for his liver are still dangerously high and we need to be patient to see if they will start to come down. That is our biggest concern right now and we need to bring it to God in prayer.

His transplant numbers are good again today; he is in what they call grafting mode. He's been holding his own on the hemoglobin and platelets so he hasn't had a blood transfusion for the last two days. His white blood cells are up to 3.9 today so that is awesome!

Now Dad looks over at me and says hi sweetie. So nice to be able to be Dad's nurse for a little while. He hasn't been eating and we've been trying to give him some yogurt. He also has been lying on his back for 6 days now and we need to try to get him to sit up; he needs to keep as active as possible. This is easier said than done however as it is extremely painful for him to move.

It's another beautiful morning and I've put one of Dad's favorite cd's in the player. He talks to me for a few minutes about welding and then drifts back off to sleep. I wish he didn't have to be in so much pain and I pray his body will continue to fight. We all want to see a healthy Dad again that can be home holding his grandchildren!

Thanks again for all the cards that are sent here; it's the highlight of the day for Mom!

About the same...

Today is about the same as yesterday. Dad's kidneys are functioning quite well but the liver is the same. He still has a build up of fluid around his stomach that makes him very uncomfortable and they continue to drain this a few times a day. This is still cause for concern as his body is not able to get rid of it on its own. He has trouble sleeping at night due to being uncomfortable and as a result is quite drowsy during the day.

He sees me this morning and says he couldn't wait for us to get here. I think he rests easier knowing we are here as it is a comfort to him. There is a beautiful view from Dad's room of Vancouver and we look out today on a beautiful sunny day.

The transplant results are quite good. The numbers keep rising each day and we are thankful for this. His white blood count should be between 4-11 and today it is 2.9. The hemoglobin should be at 135-170 and it is 97 and the platelets should be 150-400 and he's at 30. We are very thankful for these results.

Although the transplant numbers are coming up this has not remained the focus. The first priority right now is to get Dad's organs to function again. The liver is still the biggest concern at this point and we are praying it will start to heal. We know he is in God's hands and that is our comfort!

A Slight Improvement

Today so far is a good day. There is a very slight improvement in his liver again and also his kidneys have been working much better. Dad is quite jaundice and says his chest hurts quite a bit but his breathing is better and his pain a bit less. He has had more fluid removed from his stomach and this helps him feel more comfortable. He is quite disorientated at times and often tells stories that don't make sense. As he puts it the more times he pushes the morphine button the more he goes into a different world.

Mom is doing well, she feels more at ease leaving the room knowing someone else is with Dad. We gave Dad a manicure this morning which he loved, he's always loves people playing with his nails.

The doctor was just in and says he is not out of the woods yet but the trees have gotten a little thinner. We are so thankful for any improvement and thank the Lord that his pain has gone down somewhat.

Thank you so much for your prayers!

A better day

Yesterday all of us kids were at the hospital together and it was a nice family time. I know it lifted Mom's spirits to have all her kids together with her. Dad did not look so good and it was hard to see him in pain. He was quite bloated and you could see his breathing was labored. The doctors told us even though his counts were coming up his organs (specifically his liver) are not functioning properly and that was quite critical. We will need to take it one day at a time to see if his liver will start doing what it is supposed to.

Today I am writing from beside Dad's bed. It is nice to be here with him as he knows I am here and once in a while asks me a question. He is doing better than yesterday for which we are all very thankful. He is more talkative and even asked for something to drink which he hasn't done for a while...he wants coke.

Mom got mail today at the hospital and is reading Dad the cards they got. There is one cute one in particular that is from one of the classes at John Calvin School. How they appreciate the cards and kind words!

I am so happy to see that he is still the same old Dad with his smirks and jokes and it is so wonderful to hear his sense of humor is still very much active. He is in less pain than he has been mostly due to the 2 gallons of fluid they drained from his stomach. This has also allowed him to breath more easily. He is still very tired but can hear when we talk and chimes in once in a while.

Mom and I talk about the baby for a minute (I'm 6 months pregnant) and Dad tells me that it doesn't matter what gender the baby is as long as it is healthy. He says my health is not to be taken for granted. Such true words, how we do take our health for granted!

Anyway, there is not much more to say. We'll pray that tomorrow will be a good day!

Please pray for Dad

Just a quick update to let you know Dad is not doing so well at the moment.  His liver and kidneys are struggling, and he has had a catheter inserted to relieve him of the bloating caused by the buildup of fluids.  Last night he was in a lot of pain, despite the constant drip of morphine he was self-administering.  Thus, the doctors are watching him more closely than ever and talks this morning are that he may be moved to the ICU.
 
Mom wasn't feeling well last night, but is better this morning although she is very tired. 
 
Please continue to pray for Dad, and for the treatment he is receiving, and we will trust our benevolent Father...
 

Day 22 after transplant

I apologize for not updating the blog that often but there simply isn't much to say. It is day 22 after the transplant and still no change. 

The doctors have assured us that what Dad is going through is normal and that each case is different. Although it is difficult for us and especially for Dad we must be patient to see positive results. Please pray with us that Dad will be relieved from his pain and that He and Mom will be given strength from above.

Not much has changed

Not much has changed. The tests Dad had done last week came back fine. He is still feeling sick however and we are waiting for his counts to come up.

Still feeling lousy

Not much to update at this time. Dad is still quite sick and the doctors say he will continue to feel like this for at least the next 6 days. As tough as the days are for him he still maintains his sense of humor and likes playing tricks on the nurses.  

He has had some routine tests done and we should get the results this week sometime. His white blood count, hemoglobin and platelet counts are quite low and need to come up.  

Thank you for your understanding about not coming to visit for at least the next week. We will post when Dad is feeling up to visits again.  

Mom and Dad wish to THANK YOU for all the encouraging messages, cards and phone calls; they love getting mail at the hospital.