Fungal Infection complicates things

On August 22, 2015 by Michelle Love

The past few days have been very rough for BJ. Without a fever for a week, we were wanting to go home so bad, but his blood counts had to show improvement. That never happened. He spiked a fever very early this past Tuesday morning, and was in extreme pain in his right side, which caused chills and shaking. His blood pressure and SpO2 dropped. His heart rate was in the 150s. Fluid and a blood transfusion helped get his blood pressure stable. He has required oxygen and was put on a morphine pump. A CT scan showed a fungal infection in his lungs. Since he was neutropenic, he was unable to fight off the fungus that is floating in the air we breathe everyday. We are still waiting to know the type of fungus/mold, so that the correct anti-fungal medication can be given to him. In the meantime, he is being treated with broad spectrum antibiotics and anti-fungal medications. He had another CT of his abdomen, sinuses, and head, and thankfully, there was no evidence of any other spots of infection. He had a bronchoscopy yesterday to get a sample of the infection in his lungs. Results from cultures on that will take a few days to get back. He felt like getting up and walking last night, the first time since early this week. He is still spiking fevers, but they aren’t quite as high as they have been. He was taken off morphine and his IV fluids were decreased today. He is starting to feel better, and his white blood cells are finally growing again! He even has an ANC of 700 today, the first ANC he’s had in 3 weeks. We’ve been in the hospital since Aug. 11th, and he’ll have to be here until he has no fever for 24 hours, and is off oxygen. Just in the month of August, so far, he has had 7 units of platelets, and 10 units of blood. A sincere thank you to everyone who donates blood and platelets.

BJ was thankful to get the mail sent to his post office box, and enjoyed reading the notes, cards, and postcards. It was great encouragement. Thank you!!

A friend of mine recently gave BJ a United States Naval Academy coin, to which he immediately held onto, studied, and has taken it with him into each procedure and scan. BJ wants to go into the Navy, and specifically has interest in becoming a SEAL. He’s the strongest person I know. He still, even with immense pain, shortness of breath, anesthesia, procedures, fevers, and being woke up every 2 hours, has not complained once. It’s more than a kid, or anyone for that matter, should have to endure; but he is stoic, with the most fierce determination I have ever witnessed.