Well, this is not the easiest week my Dad will ever have. It's his birthday today, though! Yeah!
I went to visit this morning and the nurse came in right after I got there. She told me he was having a lot of swelling in his mouth and the sores were really bad. She said they were concerned since it seemed worse than usual. They took him off the lidocaine rinse he was using and the lozengers. They also put him on some IV benedryl and pain meds. They decided to switch any oral meds he is taking to IV administered versions so that he didn't have to swallow anything more than he needs to. I think they were also adding a steroid.
He can't talk because it hurts so bad and he was advised not to really eat solids because if his windpipe is swollen at all, he might choke (not good). He is on liquids and ice cream for a little while now.
They think that the mouth and throat and hands will resolve as soon as his body starts to "bounce" back from the chemo and produce some good white blood cells. In the meantime, he has to suck it up, really, which is not easy to do. They were going to give him a button on an additional pain med IV that he could push as needed. I hope that gives him some relief.
The benedryl was making him sleep some while I was there and that's the best for him, so I hope they keep giving that.
The good thing is his hands have improved. They weren't nearly as red, although the welts are there still. Mom said yesterday, he couldn't even touch anything to get up or sit down because they hurt so bad.
He is still fever free and they have him off the oxygen too. All of that is good.
Another hiccup was he tested positive for some bacteria that lives in all of our digestive tracts but in his case with all the antibiotics going in him and nothing else helping them to fight any infections (no immunities), this bacteria goes wild. All that means is people entering the room have to wear yellow plastic gowns and gloves to help him and if he goes into the halls, he'll have to wear one too and gloves. Right now, with his hands, that means he's on isolation in his room because he can't get gloves on. In a day or so, this should resolve too.
Otherwise, the hospital sent him a birthday cake (kind of ironic since he can't eat it!) and the kids made him some birthday posters which we hung in his room. Thanks for checking in with us! Keep the prayers coming!
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