November 23 - Weekend Update
Update time!
Hudson’s ANC finally bottomed out at 0 today, so now we wait for counts to climb! We are anticipating being here at least until the first week of December, but it will all depend on how his body recovers. He’s needed a few platelet transfusions and his hemoglobin was just above his threshold today, so he may need RBCs tomorrow. He is fluid restricted in order to protect his kidneys, so they have to be somewhat strategic about any transfusions they give, as this all counts towards his fluid intake.
Hudson’s been tolerating the NG tube and feeds pretty well! Earlier in the week, he was eating a bit here and there. He had the nurses laughing because he was requesting (and eating!) baked beans (even for breakfast 😆), but lately, he hasn’t been eating much. He is definitely still fighting nausea, which seems worst in the morning. The past couple of days he’s woken up vomiting, but for the most part, he’s been able to tolerate his full goal for his feed, or very close to it. This is likely a large part of why he’s not eating much - he doesn’t feel hungry. He is also starting to sound mucus-y and is having some diarrhea, both side effects of the chemo. Thankfully, he doesn’t seem to be experiencing much pain at this point. 🙏🏻
We’re so thankful that we’re not in isolation! This was definitely another benefit of our admission being postponed a week, because he tested negative on his respiratory panel last week, but he was still positive for parainfluenza the week before. He’s enjoyed delivering ice cream, playing soccer, and searching for “pops” this week. We’ve also been playing lots in his room, and lately we’ve been watching the Grinch on repeat. He continues to do so good considering what his body is going through - doctors, nurses, therapists, and even other parents have commented on how well he is handling it and how active he’s staying. He’s good at making people smile. ☺️
We received happy news this week! Our transplant coordinator discussed the schedule and timing of his third transplant round with his two main doctors, and they feel he can wait until after Christmas to start his next round, as this will still be within the recommended time per his protocol. 🙌🏻So we are tentatively planning to admit for his third and final stem cell transplant round on 12/27. We’ve learned several times through this process that things don’t always go as planned, but we are hopeful that this will work out, especially for the kids’ sake. It would be such a blessing to be home as a family for Christmas. ❤️🎄
Thank you for holding Hudson in prayer! Please continue to pray for him - for good count recovery, for no pain and minimal side effects, for good spirits and energy levels, for restful nights. 🙏🏻
