Transfer Day

It's time to make some changes today. With Krista's mucositis being as bad as it is, but everything else doing so well, she began to notice the the ICU staff is really outside of their realm of expertise. Her oncologist today said that she could have transferred out three days ago, but the ICU team likes her and that's why they've kept her around. He has a funny, dry sense of humor and I assumed that he was joking; but I listened in on the ICU team's meeting this morning and the lead ICU doctor told me the same thing! Hospitals are a strange place.

There was a room available in the transplant wing, so we packed up and were ready to go as soon as the transfer order went through. It took all day, but they eventually (after a last-minute attempt to hold her back because of her regular nightly fever) let us go. Thanks again to Janelle for being here today and helping out, even lugging our stuff around the hospital. The new room is smaller than 6125 was, but it has a nicer view. The mailing address is:

Krista English (Room #6127)
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
757 Westwood Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90095

Another change taking place today is that our boys left the Steffen's family and moved in with the Austin's family for a little while. We had arranged this before we came down. Our original concern was that people would be needing a break, but I had no idea what a heartache it would be to make the change. Alyssa said that after the first two weeks they began to feel like family and it was going to be too quiet without them. Their family has been so incredible, it's impossible to thank them enough -- and the same goes for the Austins and the Martons too! The boys have been so happy, and it's an incredible relief to not have to worry about them while we're going through all this.

I mentioned earlier that Krista was doing really well aside from the mucositis. Her white blood count was 0.6 yesterday morning, then 0.8 last night, and 0.94 this morning. Her neutrophil count was high enough that they no longer consider her severly neutropenic. I don't think that changes the treatment any but it is a really big step towards recovery. They say that the increase in white blood should help with the mucositis as well.

Her urine output has stepped up quite a bit, but even with that they still needed to run the single-pass dialysis on her. It's no longer an issue of fluid retention; the dialysis is removing excess toxins the weak kidney hasn't been able to take out. All signs are that her kidneys are improving and dialysis should eventually not be needed.

The liver labs continue to be good, and she looks slightly less jaundiced than yesterday, especially in the skin.

The doctors keep reminding us that Krista's not out of the weeds just yet. But that day is coming, and being back in the transplant wing should begin a new phase of the healing and rebuilding process.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
(Romans 5:1-5)