With A Little Help

Friends and family all weekend long.  Who knows how to jump start a miracle?  If the love, support and laughter we had going in Jim's room this weekend could do it, we'd be on our way. This room was rocking. There was music, chocolate (which stays outside the room but makes the staff happy), stories (who knew ice boats would be such a hoot?), boxes of 3 (you figure it out and thank you Robbie Perrot), phone calls and messages from all over the globe (Kuwait, Israel, Canada and all around the USA).

Jim has been thoroughly lucid. No more confusion. As usual, he doesn't say much but now it's not due to inclination. Breathing is hard work. Not much wind left for words. During the day he has been listening, resting, and enjoying the company.  At night, we are working through one of the harder issues.  The Ablecet is a miserably tough drug and takes hours to infuse at the quantity Jim needs. Demerol and Benedryl are supposed to help with the side effects.  The Benedryl is taken before the infusion, but we are still searching for the right time to administer the Demerol to control the rigor, the severe shaking. Not only is the shaking uncomfortable, but it is stressful.  Stress means the blood pressure, temperature, heart rate and efficient use of oxygen all suffer. Each time Jim goes through an episode stress he seems to end at a higher plateau instead of recovering back to where he was before the stress. Right now, I'm watching him shake.  It's been going on for about 20 minutes. They look like waves of motion passing through him. I'm trying to ask him to relax through them and let them pass along.  I think we're doing better than last night.  I hope we get the hang of this.

It was so good to see Dr. Nakamura today.  We missed him while he was on holiday, a well deserved holiday, but it was good to see him nonetheless.  He gave Jim's situation much thought and decided to add an additional white blood cell therapy drug.  Let's hope it stimulates some production.  Tomorrow we'll see if there is any evidence of the transplant's DNA in Jim and I suspect that will inform the decision on when and if the back up stem cells will be transplanted later this week or no.

Ah, more Demerol, good visualization work and now peace reigns and Jim sleeps.  So shall I.  Good night everyone and thanks again for the waves of love.