Active Day

Krista took a break from walking exercise yesterday so today she could show off her walking ability for the doctor at UCLA today. I wheeled her into the waiting room, but after that she was up on her own. She did great with it, too.

The routine at the visit was a little different than usual because she just had her labs done yesterday. It was nice not to have to give a sample today; without the line, samples require a poke, but there was no poking today.

The doctor said that Krista was doing really well. He cut her medrol dose in half again and said that she only need take that for one week more; after that she can stop it altogether. He was concerned about the oral antibiotic that she got from the hospital. Apparently, even though the bacteria is reactive to the antibiotic, the oral antibiotics are not capable of saturating the body with a sufficient amount to kill the infection in hard-to-get-to areas like valves and bone. They often see people on orals get hidden infections that show up months later and get so rooted that it stays with them their entire lives. He ordered daily IV antibiotics for Krista, instead. He didn't want to put a portacath in, since it is so similar to the line that got infected. She's going to get a new short-term line every three days for the next couple of weeks. That should be sufficient for getting the daily hour-long IV antibiotic dose. The good thing is that all this is going to be done from home -- starting tomorrow.

As we reflected on the upcoming 100-day milestone, the doctor beamed that Krista is going to be one of the "poster children" of the stem-cell transplant realm. Krista joked with him that he probably meant what not to do with a transplant. But he was serious and reminded her that she almost died at one point with a liver that was "mush" -- and now she's doing great.

While we were at UCLA, Tom got to take the boys to a taiko drum performance at the Granada Theater with a bunch of fellow homeschoolers. Afterward, Tom finished up nailing in the baseboards he cut up yesterday (and it looks great now), while the boys went to the Marton's home to play. In the evening, Adam was invited to a dinner-and-game gathering at the Suttons house, playing a role playing game that Randy created. Trevor wasn't old enough to play, but the Marton's invited him to have a sleep-over at their house. So, we had a kid-free evening and Krista used the little energy she had left over to help me cook up two recipes she had her eye on for a while: Salmon Croquets and Creamy Farfalle with Mushrooms and Asparagus. She made the Croquets! I think she's pretty wiped out now, but she was so happy to be able to do stuff -- even if it's just for a day.

The cords of death entangled me,
the anguish of the grave came upon me;
I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.
Then I called on the name of the LORD:
"O LORD, save me!"
The LORD is gracious and righteous;
our God is full of compassion.
The LORD protects the simplehearted;
when I was in great need, He saved me.
Be at rest once more, O my soul,
for the LORD has been good to you.
For You, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before the LORD
in the land of the living.
(Psalm 116:3-9)