Friday, April 10th

Friday, April 10th

Dear friends and family, I'm sorry that I have been out of touch but it has been a rough couple of days, however I think we are back on track! After several days of tests revealing increasingly high white blood cell counts, Brian's doctors decided to run some tests to rule out infection and other complications. First they did blood cultures to determine whether or not he had an infection. This test involves swabbing a petri dish with some of his blood and then waiting to see if any bacterial organisms grow, thankfully there were none, but his white cell count continued to rise. The doctors decided to do further testing because while his white blood cell count was rising, he showed no other symptoms of infection (fever, increased heart rate). They were also concerned about leaks that may be present in the areas where the surgeons refused his bowels and stomach back together. The first test he had was an upper GI which did not reveal any leaks, the second test ordered was a CT scan of his abdomen, which revealed fluid build up in the left side of his abdomen. They inserted a draining tube to keep the area free of any additional fluid build up. Testing of the fluid revealed that it was coming from the pancreas, but the surgeons advised us that that this was common (as you recall, part of his pancreas was removed and it is still healing). In addition to the fluid in the abdomen, fluid was also starting to build up around his lung and the doctors felt it necessary to do another thoracentisis.

Once the fluids were drained, the doctors decided to start Brian on his G-tube (a feeding tube leading directly to his stomach). They also replaced his morphine pain button with a new pain medication called Roxicet (a combination of oxycodone and tylenol). The morning after they began the feeding tube, his white blood cell count finally started to decline. Unfortunately, he is still not able to drink any fluids.

While these complications have been worrisome, the doctors assure us that they very common. They are keeping a very watchful eye on Brian to ensure an optimal recovery. As of today, assuming this latest trend of progress continues, the doctors are predicting that he will be able to come home Monday or Tuesday with the assistance of home healthcare professionals.