BJ Update….Saturday, December 12, 2015, 23rd day in the hospital

On December 12, 2015 by Michelle Love

BJ Update….Saturday, December 12, 2015, 23rd day in the hospital.

After a flawless transport back to Charlotte on Wednesday, by the best ambulance service in the country (Mecklenburg Emergency Medical Services Agency), BJ settled into his room at Levine Children’s Hospital. He breathed a sigh of relief, and said, “I’m so glad we’re back here.” We were greeted by hugs from nurses and nurse practitioners, who were sad that we had to come back this way, but happy to see us back here. Being back in our home hospital helped decrease the stress level too.

BJ had blood drawn at 0400 Thursday morning to check his white count and other CBC levels. His white count had risen to 163k. The first dose of Decadron didn’t lower the count, but it didn’t jump that much either. His doctor came in for rounds and said that BJ’s bilirubin level had dropped some, which allowed him to go ahead and start the 2 drug high-intensity chemo protocol that he wanted to start. BJ received his first dose of Clofarabine on Thursday afternoon. He has struggled with extreme bouts of nausea, and he is in a lot of pain from the horrible bruising in the bone marrow aspiration/biopsy site. He is also experiencing neuropathy in his feet, making him quite miserable. He is back on a morphine drip with a push button bolus. He was visited by several retired Navy SEALs Thursday night, and even though he was in pain and just felt horrible, he was just so very thankful for the recognition of becoming an honorary Navy SEAL.

Friday morning, BJ’s white count was now 96.9k. The Clofarabine dropped the count significantly. The concern was for BJ’s kidneys, operating at 50-60% normal, and the high amounts of toxins that needed to be flushed out of his blood, through his kidneys. The doctors needed to balance the amount of IV fluids used to help this process, and monitor BJ’s respiratory function, which has also taken a hit over the past few weeks.

This morning, BJ’s nurse came in and was dancing, because his white count was now 12k. BJ and I looked at each other, and tears came to his eyes. He said “Mom…I knew the prayers would work!” The kidney doctor said BJ’s numbers improved as well, and now his kidneys are functioning at 75%. His doctors said that all his numbers are improving. What a turn around! We want to thank you all for your prayers, and for sharing his video. BJ is counting on your prayers to continue to help him get better.

If you would like to send a card…

BJ Correll, room 11001T
c/o Levine Children’s Hospital
1000 Blythe Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28203

#CureForBJRound2 #BJStrong #Fighter #HonoraryNavySEAL

#IAmLCH

#PrayersAreWorking