Lunder 10 one more time

             After a quiet day at the outpatient clinic, David was admitted to the inpatient leukemia unit in Lunder Building. He hadn’t eaten in over a week, just a few glasses of warm milk and a couple of warm homemade milkshakes. He can’t tolerate food or even cold things like ice cream. He’s very weak and thin: 135 lbs. (and six feet tall).

            I looked in his throat with Dr. Fathi. It looks awful: raw open sores and white spots. It’s probably a combination of thrush (Candida albicans resides in our bodies but causes mischief when the immune system is compromised.) and the leukemia degrading the mucous membranes.

            Dr. Fathi agreed to admit him to Lunder 10. There is no expectation of anything but ‘symptom management’. Via IV they are administering a powerful anti-fungal, pain and anti-nausea medication, and fluids. The anti-fungal may treat the thrush but will do nothing for the sores caused by the leukemia. He’s had a clear, juice-like version of Ensure, a drink with lots of protein. He can’t tolerate the milky kind I can get at a grocery store. It’s good to get a few more calories in him.

            Matt and I spent the evening with David. R’el called in the early evening and Annie called when she woke up. (In Tianjin, China, it was Saturday morning, 12 hours later than our Friday evening.) We had a very nice long chat with her. It hurts for David to talk, so he mostly listened.

            This morning at 4:30 a.m. I was woken up by the street crew just outside my bedroom window, preparing to pave Bedford St. We’ve parked our cars on Worthen Road, around the block and down the street, so we’ll have easy access all day.

            Ironically, David’s counts were better yesterday. His white blood cell count was down to 7.13; it hasn’t been that low since May 18^th. His platelets were 3. He received platelets. His hematocrit was 27.6, the highest since June 15^th, but because he was so weak they gave him red blood cells as well.