Opposing Battles

A few people have asked for an update on Jody so here goes.  In a nutshell, he’s fighting two opposing battles.  One is the infection in his lungs which requires high doses of multiple heavy-duty antibiotics.  The other is his kidneys which are showing damage from the aforementioned antibiotics, the treatment for which is flushing with fluids and stopping the antibiotics.  This poses a dilemma; treat the infection or treat the kidneys?  The doctors have had Jody on a mediocre medication regimen (necessary to give his kidneys time to recover), and are hoping that they will be enough to treat the infection and help him to start feeling better.

The other issue is the shortness of breath.  Jody experiences this with almost any activity (climbing steps, walking, showering, coughing, etc.).  This could be the result of the infection, or it could just be his new normal.  His last pulmonary function test (done three weeks ago) showed his lung function was down to 32%.  Amazingly, his body continues to compensate and he has not required oxygen… yet.  That being said, for months Jody has been waking up with headaches, and is popping Tylenol like it’s candy.  It could be that his oxygen level is dropping even lower at night and he experiences a build-up of carbon dioxide, resulting in headaches.  The doctors plan to do a home overnight test so they can know for sure if this is what is happening.  If so, he will begin using home oxygen at night while he sleeps.  This could also improve his energy level since his body would not have to work as hard to breathe throughout the night, causing him to wake up tired.

The good news in this post is that Jody came home from the hospital tonight!  We haven’t had much down time yet as this was followed by a two-hour visit with his visiting nurse (who just left at 11:20 pm).  As usual, he will continue IV antibiotics here for another week, and will be seen by his doctors when they are completed.  His bloodwork will be closely monitored this week so we can keep an eye on his kidney function and antibiotic levels.

After every hospital discharge a visiting nurse comes to our home to set Jody up with his home IV medication regimen.

In life it’s so easy to take things for granted.  Tonight I’m relishing in simply being able to sit on the couch with my husband, in waking up next to him in the morning, and in having him home for our daughter’s first day of preschool tomorrow.  I hope that you too will not take these simple moments in your life for granted.