D+52: Cleaning house

WBC 1.3
ANC 884

Don't get me started on the counts.

We dropped a bunch of meds today. Gancyclovir is out of here (yahoo!). So is another drug called CellCept, which helps fight GVHD but also can stifle counts. I'm glad to see both of these drugs go (esp. the Gancyclovir), but there's a lingering stink cloud. The bone marrow suppression associated with both drugs can hang around for 1-2 weeks after you stop! The other drug we dropped is called Cydofovir and it is pretty toxic to Ryan's kidneys. Dropping the Cydofovir gives us a bit more wiggle room with the Cyclosporine and the occasional dose of a diuretic like Lasix.

In other news, Ryan's GVHD rash is definitely getting better. In fact, the gut-related symptoms of GVHD are better as well. We still have the occasional green explosion of poop (hey, it's been like three days since I talked about it), but it's much better overall. The GVHD is taking its sweet old time going away, but go away it must.

BTW, our night nurse Allison is slowly restoring our faith in humanity. She really goes the extra mile to help Cheryl and me (note: not 'I') out during the night. Her latest idea is to reposition Ryan's pulse/saturation monitor right in front of the window to the room. That way, she can monitor Ryan while we sleep and deliver any necessary pain/agitation meds as the need arises. It seems like a little thing in theory, but it is absolutely huge in practice. Sleep is a valuable commodity in this place, and it's real tough to get it when you are worried about Ryan all night long. Thanks, Allison -- you rock!