Friday, February 22, 2008

2/22/08

Wow! It has been two weeks since we added an update on Joseph. Needless to say we have been busy. Joseph is doing very well. The weekend I wrote the last update he ended up dumping the albumin and protein in his body and had to go in for IV albumin. Since then he has done very well and we are hopeful that he is holding on to it this time. He seems to be and the fluid in his belly seems to be decreasing some, definately not increasing. You know we have become obsessed with this issue when we changed our scale to read kilograms instead of pounds since that is what they use at PCMC. Joseph is having a major increase in activity. He is now going up and down the stairs at our house whenever he wants, we play the wii sports game quite a bit and he enjoys the opportunity to get some form of exercise. We went for walks last week but this week the air quality has been too poor to wander outside. Hopefully that won't last and we will be able to be back outside in March. Last Friday Joseph's biopsy showed some mild rejection and some cell breakdown. They don't normally treat mild rejection if he is having no other symptoms but because of the cell breakdown he had to increase his medications over the weekend but he was able to drop all but one back down on Tuesday. Today is the first Friday that we have not had to go to SLC for a biopsy. We are enjoying our week off but his next biopsy is next Thursday and it is going to be a little more involved. They will be putting at least one stint in an artery that is a little bit too narrow. It is still a same day surgery procedure through a catheter (Joseph has had two stints previously) so we are not to worked up over this procedure. I think that about sums up what is happening around here. Thanks for the prayers. Friends and family make all the difference in trials.

Wendy


Friday, February 8, 2008

2-8-08

Yesterday was the one month anniversary of Joseph's transplant!! We cannot feel more blessed than we have been. Joseph continues to improve. He is gaining more strength and is having more energy all the time. Yesterday he even managed to go downstairs and hang out with me and he was able to get himself back up the stairs later on. Joseph is still struggling with fluid in his belly though. This week the fluid came back at least as bad as before the transplant if not worse. We are still hopeful that this time it will be only temporary. His body is starting to create albumin again and that is an important step to having the protein losing problem resolved. He is currently in the middle of his fourth biopsy. So far all the biopsys have been normal and we believe this one will be also. They are also going to drain a little fluid off of his belly so it is not so uncomfortable for him. This is all same day surgery procedures so we will be home again this evening. Being at home has been the best thing for Joseph. (and for our whole family) He finds a lot more to smile about and is just a lot more at peace with the recovery process. His main goal in life now is to be "a normal person" by summer. I am not sure that anyone in our family will ever be completely normal but we can hope for it anyways.

Wendy