AML: Jon – Changing of the Guard

So Andrea went  home to be with the kids and to go to work for about  10 days and I (jon’s mom) am here with Jon.  My sister, Rogene, road along with me yesterday and then road back home with Andrea.  It was a lot of riding for her but  Andrea and I sure appreciated the company.

 Jon is still in the hospital so they can help with the sores and pain in his mouth and throat.  He has a small med patch behind his  ear that seems to be helping with the nausea – but then he hasn’t eaten anything and drank very, very little since last Thursday.   They have him on lots of IV’s – , antibiotics,   fuilds and now nutrients too.   Also blood and platlets as needed. 

He gets pain meds that way also and also has a button he can push to get extra as needed.  When we got here yesterday,  he said the pain was manageable but from the look of his eyes I think that was a little  questionable.   He was talking just a little bit though and Andrea said he hadn’t been pushing the button for the  extra pain med much.    

But  about 7 last night they brought in his evening meds – some they can give thru the IVs but a couple he has to take orally and these particular pills can’t be broken up or crushed – they need to go down intact.  Watching him struggle for 15 – 20 minutes to get those pills down and deal with the increased pain was almost more than this mom could handle .   

Jon’s own white blood cells were destroyed  by the chemo and radiation, and they are keeping his immune system suppressed to accept the transplant, and these new stem cells haven’t had time to get to work yet, so Jon’s body really has no way to heal itself of these sores in his throat.  

Unfortunately this little cycle of keeping the immune system suppressed to give the new stem cells time to take hold isn’t anything they can rush  so the throat pain isn’t likely to go away for awhile –it may get worse before it gets better.

 But Jon is strong,  our faith is strong,  and the power of all your prayers is strong, so God will help  us through this.   We just have to take one day at a time, and some days just an hour at a time.