Posted by Becky
Leif's infection hasn't been responding to the antibiotics he's been on so far. He continues to have a high fever and to feel very tired and out of it. They are keeping him on Tylenol for his fever, oxygen, IV fluids, pain medications, and miscellaneous drugs. His blood counts remain low, so he's been getting blood, platelets, and injections of Neupogen, a drug that stimulates production of neutrophils, which are the white blood cells Leif needs to be producing more of.
The transplant specialist suspects that his lungs have Aspergillus, a fungal infection, so they started him on Vorconazole, its treatment of choice. The infectious disease specialist thinks Aspergillus is less likely since Leif hasn't been neutropenic for long enough, and suspects Pneumocystis, so they've started him on Bactrim for that. The cultures that might provide a clear diagnosis won't be ready until Monday, so Leif will be getting both of those antibiotics, plus Zosym (the broad-spectrum antibiotic) and Gentamycin at least through Monday. Both Aspergillus and Pneumocystis are always present in everyone, but they can become invasive in an immunocompromised person.
They've discontinued the Vancomycin, since its main target is MRSA, and Bactrim will also work on MRSA. Leif's MRSA cultures have come back negative, but they still want to make sure they cover it. The Vorconazole has a side effect of visual "disturbances" - things sparkle and turn cool colors every once in a while - which has been keeping Leif mildly entertained.
Another medical adventure that Leif enjoyed was the MRI to check out his eye. He heard that MRIs were loud, so he brought his high-decibel earplugs. They also had noise-canceling headphones, and he chose to get classical music piped in. The machine is a clean tube with a bright, straight cobalt line shining in it. When they turned the machine on, it pulsed his back and neck, and he said it felt like a great massage. He found it so relaxing that he went to sleep. Apparently, that is not a common reaction to getting an MRI.
He also got another chest xray yesterday afternoon, to check how his lungs are doing.
This weekend will involve waiting to see whether Leif's fever and other symptoms respond to any of his new meds, and hang on until Monday when they can get closer to a diagnosis. He's up for short phone calls. If you'd like to visit, please call first since he's pretty wiped out.
Leif's infection hasn't been responding to the antibiotics he's been on so far. He continues to have a high fever and to feel very tired and out of it. They are keeping him on Tylenol for his fever, oxygen, IV fluids, pain medications, and miscellaneous drugs. His blood counts remain low, so he's been getting blood, platelets, and injections of Neupogen, a drug that stimulates production of neutrophils, which are the white blood cells Leif needs to be producing more of.
The transplant specialist suspects that his lungs have Aspergillus, a fungal infection, so they started him on Vorconazole, its treatment of choice. The infectious disease specialist thinks Aspergillus is less likely since Leif hasn't been neutropenic for long enough, and suspects Pneumocystis, so they've started him on Bactrim for that. The cultures that might provide a clear diagnosis won't be ready until Monday, so Leif will be getting both of those antibiotics, plus Zosym (the broad-spectrum antibiotic) and Gentamycin at least through Monday. Both Aspergillus and Pneumocystis are always present in everyone, but they can become invasive in an immunocompromised person.
They've discontinued the Vancomycin, since its main target is MRSA, and Bactrim will also work on MRSA. Leif's MRSA cultures have come back negative, but they still want to make sure they cover it. The Vorconazole has a side effect of visual "disturbances" - things sparkle and turn cool colors every once in a while - which has been keeping Leif mildly entertained.
Another medical adventure that Leif enjoyed was the MRI to check out his eye. He heard that MRIs were loud, so he brought his high-decibel earplugs. They also had noise-canceling headphones, and he chose to get classical music piped in. The machine is a clean tube with a bright, straight cobalt line shining in it. When they turned the machine on, it pulsed his back and neck, and he said it felt like a great massage. He found it so relaxing that he went to sleep. Apparently, that is not a common reaction to getting an MRI.
He also got another chest xray yesterday afternoon, to check how his lungs are doing.
This weekend will involve waiting to see whether Leif's fever and other symptoms respond to any of his new meds, and hang on until Monday when they can get closer to a diagnosis. He's up for short phone calls. If you'd like to visit, please call first since he's pretty wiped out.
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