Friday, July 23, 2010 — Feels like a turn around day!

Even though I’m not sporting a totally clear head yet, I can grasp the fact that we are finally at some kind of a turning point. At least it feels like we are. I can’t go to the hospital today because I’m evidently still contagious. But the reports that have come tumbling into my motel room are almost a hundred percent positive. The blood pressure medicine has been halted and returned several times. Now halted. The doctors say that is strictly par for the course as they do the delicate balancing act of removing things from the regime. — All headed in the right direction. The white count continues to decrease slowly and the platelet count goes up. Hurray! The new bed which I have not yet seen, seems to be a big hit with the kids. It has air circulating subtly through the last layer and the mattress itself is an air mattress. All of this is supposed to act as a deterrent to damaging the skin.

Kathy went this morning to a nice little clinic that gave her a complete checkup and strep test. As she was leaving, the doctor decided to give her a prescription to use if she started having any new symptoms even though her test came out negative. She wasn’t back at the motel for ten minutes before the clinic doctor called her to say that she had been watching the test strip very closely since Kathy left and that she was beginning to see a faint line. Because of that she urged Kathy to begin the antibiotic. Honestly, we have encountered the most caring people here from the moment we arrived. It’s truly heart warming and does a lot toward keeping us in a positive mood.

One of the doctors here continues to describe himself as very conservative in his actions and I’m absolutely fine with that. He believes in taking each step very slowly and when in doubt, waiting a day to progress onto the next change in the protocol. Yet when any kind of a downturn occurs, they are right there to deal with it. Definitely inspires confidence. I don’t have any idea how much of this Skip will be aware of when he awakens. Possibly none of it. So maybe the blog will also serve as a chronicle for him to peruse when he has the stomach for it.

I’m sure that when he is back with us and hears how close to leaving us he was, he’ll be as grateful as I am for all the skillful care he has received.