Hospital again + 75

Sorry that it has been almost 2 weeks since I posted. The week of 10th, I was into the clinic everyday and couple unplanned to get fluids. Most of the tests were negative for GvHD except for the D-Xylose test that I had last Tuesday. Just got results back today from Mayo Clinic and it definitely indicated GvHD. I am now on 90mg Prednisone per day and added CellCept back for treatment as well. Got to drop Ursodiol but added 4 "horse" tablets of Bactrim each day.

Also the clinic had taken blood cultures for several days starting the 13th. They got the first results back on Tuesday (after I got home from a day of D-Xylose) and had me go straight to the hospital. I didn't feel too bad but Drs were worried since it was a very septic infection in my blood. On Wed, they pulled out my central line and ran cultures on that as well. On Thurs, they ran a PICC line which accomplishes the same purpose as the old central line. It hangs out of my right bicep area down to my elbow, dangling frrom under any short sleeve shirt. I got out of the hospital about 1pm on Saturday and was back at the clinic at 8:30 this morning. Already have appts for Monday and Tuesday and probably more this week.

It is good to have some confirmation of why I have not had an appetite and I have lost weight. Official weight from this morning was 197 lbs, 70 lbs less that my bloated high back in May and 55 lbs less than when many of you saw me last.

Thanks for all your prayers. Last Monday, after my sister came back from a 2 week mission trip to Brazil, we had a family prayer meeting at my house. Little did we know that the blood culture test that may have saved my life was already underway. Just a few days later and results could have been much different. God works in mysterious ways.