18th
Light at the end of the tunnel
Hi!
We’re finally to the point where the end of the hospital stay is in sight! And not a moment too soon! Justin looks great and his wbc is above 4.0, so he’s within the range that us normal people live in, which is 4.0 to 11.0. We are still wearing masks and gloves in the room with him and he will wear a special mask and gloves when he leaves the house (once we get him home). There are other special cells besides those white blood cells that help keep bacterial, fungal, and viral infections away, so while his wbc count is “normal” he is still very suceptable to infection and we must be vigilant! He will also go home on immunosuppressant medications that help keep the new immune system from attacking Justin’s body. Immune + suppress = desire to keep Justin as a bubble boy…
HOWEVER, we have gotten the ok to bring Justin home possibly as early as Monday! We have the “Do’s and Don’ts” pamphlet from the discharge nurse already! Justin is taking most of his medications orally rather than through the IV, and is really working hard to eat well. He continues to keep food down, and we have found more things that taste ok. Last night was meatloaf with bar-b-que sauce and a red bliss potato. I ordered a muffin for Justin and ate it myself. Kind of like stealing… What a rush.
We are saying goodbye to Patty (Justin’s mom) today. We are putting on a brave face. We will miss you, Pats! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Love,
Holly
