June 14, 2010
Hello, everyone, and thank you for all of the kind, inspiring emails. Michael has completed his first week of the transplant process, including four days of conditioning chemotherapy, and is doing well. His surgery went as expected. He experienced some soreness and discomfort, but rebounded quickly. He has had both nausea and mouth sore pain, which we knew would happen. Unfortunately, it will get much, much worse before it gets better. However, he is on powerful anti-nausea meds and morphine to help ease his suffering. He is, as always, positive and eager to follow the doctors’ instructions so that he can recover as soon as possible.
His weekly routine consists of mouth care and breathing exercises five times per day, and during the week he gets visits from physical therapists who play games with him, a massage therapist, and musical therapy. Saturdays and Sundays are long and uneventful, and we do the best we can to entertain him. Soon his energy level will drop, and the days will be more about pain management. But as of now, he can still play games and occasionally they let us unhook him long enough to enjoy a nice bath or throw a ball around in the hallway of the transplant unit.
We are always looking for new arts and crafts, so send along your ideas. He has painted a bird house, several piggy banks, and lots of pictures, and he loves the mosaic color-by-sticker kits.
His actual transplant is Thursday, and then the waiting period begins. Please pray for his pain to be minimized as much as possible, and that the next several weeks go by quickly for Michael.
I hope you are all doing well, and that you have a wonderful Father’s Day this weekend.
Much love to you,
Alison