I’ve dragged my feet a bit in writing this post. In my last update I mentioned some things that were looking more promising, and it was true. Kendall was able to go off oxygen for a few hours, he got up out of bed a little, and he was more alert for a while.
Things since then have been very difficult, though. All of his numbers are steadily getting worse. His kidneys and liver are both failing, and he is having a really hard time breathing. Kendall has a difficult time staying awake, and when he is he struggles with any type of eating. The doctors don’t feel like he would be able to withstand either dialysis or a feeding tube at this point, and his liver would not be able to handle TPN (total parenteral nutrition, or nutrients given intravenously). That means that a lot of my time at the hospital all day, every day, is spent trying to wake him up to coax a bite or sip of something (which he usually refuses, or throws up).
So Kendall is in in really rough shape. He’s not able to talk to the kids, which has been hard. It doesn’t seem real that less than a week ago we were so elated with the fact that he had engrafted. I will be requesting a care conference for this coming Monday, so that I will have a chance to speak with all of Kendall’s doctors at once, ask all my hard questions, and hopefully make a game plan for moving forward.
On a more positive note, thank you for all of the birthday wishes today. I did feel love, from many friends and family. Unrelated, but very cool, a friend of mine sent me the piece of smelted copper that is pictured here. It makes a great “worry stone.” I love it!
