Day + 15 -- a much better day, no fevers!

Finally after ten straight days of troubling fevers, Doug went all day without high fevers! He looks so much better. His ANC is 2,550 so those stem cells are in production. Another MM patient put it like this:
"The new replacement cells are struggling to learn their jobs, pick up where the more experienced cells left off. Its like rebuilding the basketball team during an off year."

The infection specialist doc came to see Doug and said that since the fevers seem to be gone, he is stopping the extra IV antibiotics. Doug will still be on the prophylactic (preventative) antibiotic pills that all transplant patients take. As much as possible, the IV meds are now being given in pill form, so soon Doug won't spend almost the whole day hooked up to the IV pump. He's still using oxygen at night temporarily.

Doug's jobs now are:

• to eat solid food gradually
• walk more
• do exercises
• breathe deeply and use his spirometer gadget
• spend more time out of bed and gain strength

I am coach for all these things -- it is a fine line between encouraging and nagging. I am trying to back off and let him do more by himself now. We have a chart on the wall for food intake and spirometer use, so Doug can look and see progress or lack of it.

This morning he had a whole can of Ensure for breakfast; that is good because Ensure has lots of electrolytes. For lunch he ordered potato soup, ate a few bites and vomited all of it up. Maybe it was too thick, with all his mucusitis in mouth and throat. Tomorrow we'll try pureed foods. He did have some jello in the afternoon and then another whole can of Ensure before I left. Everything is going to be baby steps but that's okay. He's walking in the hall morning and afternoon, and doing arm and leg exercises. Everything is a big effort for him, so I give him lots of "atta-boys".

Doug had his first two visitors today -- Wylee E. from our church in Buena Vista, and Jamee, our daughter in law. Jamee is going to do our laundry! She must be one of the marines who rushed in to help me.

I had a much better night's rest, and with the help of my little pills, I don't have that awful anxiety feeling. I know part of it is that Doug is feeling better. A friend gave me a saying that goes something like this: "If God leads us to it, he will help us through it". I believe that.

love to all and thanks for the prayers!