Day 70

Well we've just returned from another great weekend in Houston visiting Jodie and her sister Joyce.  Jodie's parents joined us for the drive down.  Boy that 4 hour drive is a lot easier with extra hands to help with the kids.  I tried to go it alone a couple of weeks ago and let's just say I'll probably wait until the kids are about 18 before I try it again.

Before the weekend even started there were a few health concerns with Jodie and my dad.  First off Jodie's blood counts have slowly started to decline over the last couple of weeks.  Even requiring her second blood transfusion and another shot to boost her white cells.  The nurses weren't even sure what was causing the drop.

And then my dad developed some kind of cyst on his chest that had to be drained and cleaned.  His doctor thought it could be a bacterial infection, but would not know until further tests.  Maybe the worst part of it all was the doctor said it could be contagious and advised that he not see Jodie or the kids this weekend for risk of passing it on to them.

Another little scare, a rash developed on Jodie's hand after lunch on Sunday.  Just to be safe, she went to the ER to get it checked out.  All part of keeping an eye out for Graft vs. Host Disease.

I did mention it was a "great" weekend in Houston right?  We really did have a great time, we stayed at the Rotary House hotel, it's attached to MD Anderson by a huge sky bridge.  That sky bridge was really all we needed, we ate there, napped there (me), read there (not me) and best of all let the kids run around while we relaxed.  We also had some friends come and meet us to catch up and get a chance to see Jodie.

Tuesday brought some really good news for both Jodie and my dad.  Jodie's low blood counts are probably being caused by one of the drugs she it taking for a virus, well that virus is now gone and the medication will be stopped.  It will take a week or two for her counts to start moving back up again.  Her rash, nothing to be concerned with the doctor just prescribed some cream for it.

My dad's wound is healing and there's no longer a concern of him passing it to someone else.

So we are on day 70 after the transplant, we hope to have Jodie home at the end of July.  And my dad will have another appointment with his doctor next week to take a look at his kidney cancer.  We're hopeful that the medication has continued to reduce the cancer.

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support for our family.

Blessings to all!!!

-The Gees