In December of 2002, an uninsured driver caused an accident that left my oldest son, Noah, paralyzed. He was 22. In the immediate aftermath, our grief knew no bounds. We searched for answers. But none existed. Our resolve hardened against the injury’s tyranny. We imagined fictitious recoveries. But these were just pantomimes of wishful thinking. … More Tender Mercies
Last night John’s fatigue, diarrhea, lack of appetite, pain, and low-grade fever culminated in a decision to go to the hospital. I was somewhat surprised by the nurse and doc’s reaction to our arrival, something akin to, “What are you doing here?” While John’s fever had not reached the red flag level (100.9, he got … More Pit Stop At The UW Hospital
I just want to let everyone know that John is home from the hospital and feeling better. We are doing an IV antibiotic at home to try and get rid of the pesky pneumonia. John is composing an update that will give his version of the events of the past week in detail. Thank you … More Back At The PGH
Things are better tonight after an active day at the hospital. John started the day with a shower and scrubbed so hard his hair fell out (or maybe that was the chemo doing the scrubbing). We decided that one big mess was preferable to several days of small ones, and went for the shaver. Since … More Transfusions & Pneumonia
A slight blip on the radar screen as John was admitted to the hospital last night. Serves me right after I proclaimed yesterday that we were a little short on news. When a transplant patient is neutropenic and his temperature reaches a certain level (100.9), he is instructed to call the team nurse. Eager to … More To The Hospital
I miss my cats. During the extensive evaluation at the SCCA, I’d had an EKG that presented an irregularity. So, in order to follow up on every little health clue in preparation for the demanding transplant in my future, a visit to a cardiologist was arranged. Early Monday morning we caught a shuttle … More I Miss My Cats
Good Blood, Bad Blood 