Finally, some good news to report! Jody has been home from the hospital for a little over a week and at last he is on an antibiotic regimen that seems to be working; he’s feeling a little better, and his kidney function is stable. After two months without much improvement, it’s wonderful to see things turning around, however small or short-lived they may be. I don’t mean to give the impression that things are great, but we have come to appreciate small improvements, and don’t expect greatness. All things considered we had a good week, with our stress level thankfully a little lower. Best of all, this week I didn’t feel like I was watching Jody suffer as I had a few weeks earlier. How refreshing it was to watch him a little more “active.” I’m so thankful these antibiotics are doing their job!
We had a follow-up appointment at Hopkins on Tuesday and unlike other times over the past two months, we didn’t pack a bag expecting to stay. It was wonderful to ride home with my husband (since I’m accustomed to leaving him there and driving home alone). The plan for now is to continue on these antibiotics for one more week. Truthfully though, I’m nervous for him to come off them. I love this small turn-around and am scared to see him turn back around in the opposite direction. The fact that we are heading into cold and flu season also makes me quite paranoid. I wish the only thing I had to worry about was our girls picking up colds at preschool. Period. Instead, I worry about the way that these simple colds will wreak havoc on Jody’s lungs and in turn, our lives. As much as I would like to keep my family in a bubble of protection, I know I can’t. All we can do is practice good hand hygiene, and pray that this fall/winter will be merciful on us.
You might remember from a previous post that the doctors wanted to do an overnight study on Jody to measure his oxygen level while he sleeps. Well, the results are in. As we suspected, his oxygen level is dropping too low when he sleeps. This is most likely the cause of those headaches he wakes up with nearly every day. To fix this problem we’ve welcomed a new member into our home, and Jody has affectionately named her, “Flo” (aka an oxygen concentrator). This means that from now on, he will use oxygen while he sleeps. Adjusting to the nasal cannula (the prongs that go in his nose to deliver the O2), wrestling/getting tangled up in the tubing, and the noise of the concentrator are taking some getting used to, but this morning he woke-up headache free!
“Flo”
In addition to oxygen at night, the doctors recommend Jody begin using it with activity as well. While at our appointment on Tuesday he did a six-minute walk study with a physical therapist, which was required as part of the transplant work-up. As we expected, it revealed that he is dropping his oxygen with activity too. The question then becomes, what is activity? Does he need oxygen just to walk up the stairs at home? Is it warranted if he picks up our daughters from preschool? Does he need it to walk into church, even if he won’t need it once he’s there and sitting down? The thought of going out in public wearing oxygen is not easy for Jody. He feels self-conscious, and fears the looks, the sad faces, and the fact that he can no longer hide the battle going on between him & his lungs. Please pray that God would give him the courage he needs to take this first step, and that people would be kind and accepting in return.
As you can see, even though we’ve had a small turn-around this week, we’ll never really go back to the days when CF was a distant thought in our minds. Instead it now plays an active role in our lives, often dictating what we do and don’t do. Even so, we continue to enjoy the small moments in life and give thanks to God for each and every day!
CF Wife 
Use whatever you need to keep going out Jody, having enough O2 in your body is so much more important than what others are saying or their expressions. I think you will see that when you can be out and about makes you feel better all the way around! You cont. to be in my prayers, for the antibiotics to work, and for all of you to stay as healthy as possible.
Marilyn
So glad for the good news! Tell Jody to act like the O2 isn’t even there, and others will get used to it soon enough. O2 + exercise + the outdoors = stronger man. And that’s the goal! Enjoy this time together. We’ll be praying very specifically…thanks for helping us to do that.
What a blessing to hear of some positives!! Thank you so much for taking the time and energy to keep us posted! Prayers continue for all of you!
I am so happy to hear the good news. No matter how little, it is still good news. I’m still smiling while writing this after reading the blog. I love Jody’s sense of humor by calling his O2 compressor “Flo”. That made me laugh. Tell Jody that if he would have to use O2 in public on occasion, those who know and love him don’t see the O2. We only see ‘Jody’. And are always glad to see him. I am so touched and admire the love you two have for each other. Prayers will continue.