Andrew today

Andrew has been awake most of the day. He's more chatty and even got a fresh cut from Isaiah the barber. He's on high dose antibiotics just in case he has an infection, and it seems like the antibiotics have been working. He is also on steroids to help his lungs and levophed to keep his blood pressure up. The doctor saw him this morning and said he can start eating again and also said he'll have to be in the ICU for another few days to slowly wean him off of the meds.

That's all I know! He is enjoying watching football today and also trying to get some more rest.

Happy Sunday!

I am here in the ICU with Andrew and our family and a few close friends. Andrew was awake when Tyler and I arrived but has mostly been sleeping since. He is not too coherent and is wondering why we are all here. Our sisters Rachel and Sarah fly in tonight. Andrews blood pressure is still very low, even after upping his blood pressure medicine.

I want to convey that Andrew is in a critical state. At this point we are hoping and praying that Andrew is comfortable and that peace flows through his body and heart. His condition changes hour by hour so I will update when I'm able.

The past 24 hours

There is a lot to report from the last 24 hours. Andrews condition has dramatically declined. Andrew fell in the bathroom yesterday morning due to no strength in his legs and numb feet. We decided he needed to be checked out in Seattle so we brought him to the ER last night around 7. They ran some tests and found his potassium and creatine levels to be high which was causing irregular heart rhythms. He also had low blood pressure and low sodium levels. They admitted him to the ICU last night which is where he is now. I am writing this in the car- we are en route to see him. Please pray for Andrew that he can be comfortable and that his mind can be at rest. He has been very upset with this change of events.

I will post more once we see him. Please direct all communication to myself or Martha. He is not in a place to be responding to texts, etc. And please check back here as I will update when I have more information.

Chicken Legs

Everyone knows that Andrew is famous for his skinny chicken legs. Well, we are happy to report that in the last few days we can actually SEE those cute chicken legs and even his ankles! This is wonderful news! His legs and feet have been full of fluid for the last month+ so it's nice to be able to see his ankles for the first time in a while. Andrew says the only thing really bothering him are his feet. They are so sore it is hard for him to walk.

Yesterday at the health clinic Dr. Parmar and the staff remarked how wonderful Andrew looked and how much stronger his spirit and chattiness has become. Andrew elected to not do the oxygen therapy the last few days and Dr. Parmar stated he does not want to push Andrew to continue with it because it does cause his legs to swell up and they will continue to swell until he gets his albumin controlled with infusions. He said the Hyperthermia and Ukrain are working well enough and that the proof is in Andrew's physical progression. Andrew was very happy to hear that everyone thought he looked so good. Andrew also kept saying how good he felt and how he has been waiting for this feeling.

This makes me happy!

Quick Update

Hi All,

Sorry my posting has been non-existent this last week. My oldest daughter turned 4 on Friday so we've been busy celebrating. I also spent about 24 hours with Andrew last Wed-Thur night. I was happy to see Andrew and spend some time with him. I definitely was not the best caretaker as I had to keep my little one out of everything in sight. I was able to take Andrew to his appointments on Thursday so was glad to meet Dr. Parmar and many of the nurses and staff at the Integrated Health Clinic. I was very impressed by their clinic and their warm and loving personalities. I was extremely impressed with Dr. Parmar. He is just the kind of doctor Andrew needs. He is full of life and very positive. He sat with us for a while and answered questions and reviewed his labs. Since I didn't write anything down, my information is going to be very vague.

Dr. Parmar said that a few of Andrew's levels indicated some improvement since the week prior. This is good news and he was very pleased to tell us this. His sodium level, however, is now at a critically low point. Andrew needs to be able to take in more salt to get his levels up. Dr. Parmar has put him on a very strict fluid intake and is requiring Andrew to try and eat as much salt as possible. He also has restricted Andrew to only drain his abdomen every few days. Andrew has been taking shots of soy sauce! You can't fault him for his creativity!

Andrew's albumin levels are low, which leads to dehydration and he has been dealing with cracked lips and throat. His feet continue to cause him a lot of pain. This is probably the biggest problem for Andrew. His feet fill with fluid and become extremely swollen and it is hard to walk and even when he is laying down the pain can sometimes be unbearable. Not only have we all entered this medical world, we are also in the spa business now. We all spend countless hours massaging and rubbing his feet, legs, hands, head, etc with every kind of oil and lotion possible. This always helps to relax Andrew and gives him temporary relief. One of Andrew's friends downloaded a bunch of relaxing music on his iPad, so we turn on the music, light the fire and the candles all in hopes he can relax enough to sleep.

Helping and taking care of Andrew is a 24/7 job and I just want to thank each of our family members and friends who have helped out. We are so so grateful. And Andrew is extremely grateful for the help and the love.

Andrew's last scheduled treatment is for next Wednesday November 23. He will be back home in Seattle that night so we can enjoy Thanksgiving together as a family.

That is all for now, we wish you a wonderful week. I'll be back here when I get a report from Martha!

Not the best quality picture, but I think Andrew looks so cute! He's wearing his new hat that Martha brought him this weekend. Andrew has been doing well these last few days. He feels like he's getting some more energy and looks like he's gaining some weight back in his face and upper body. Today he slept though his entire oxygen therapy treatment and came out smiling. The staff at the clinic wanted to know what Andrew did this past weekend because they couldn't believe how well Andrew looked today and said his eyes and skin color looked less jaundice. One of the doctors commented on how well he's been handling the treatments. Andrew meets with Dr. Parmar tomorrow and they will discuss his lab results, how the treatments are going and hopefully he will answer some questions we have. We are hoping the labs show good sodium levels.

My daughter Sonja and I are headed up to Canada Wednesday night to help take care of Andrew until our mother can get there Thursday night. Andrew says he's excited to see Sonja...hopefully he feels that way when she wakes up at 6:30am! I'm sure her adorable smile will excuse any faults she may have (like completely taking apart and destroying an entire house!)

Hope your week is off to a great start.

Tremendous day

Andrew woke up yesterday morning and said, "Today is a tremendous day". He had taken some melatonin the previous night to help him sleep and was able to sleep for 4 hours, woke up for 30 minutes then fell back asleep for another 4 hours. What awesome news! He said yesterday was his best day treatment wise and he even napped through both treatments. The nurses at the clinic love him, (obviously!) and one nurse even said she read his entire blog over a bottle of wine the other night. Yesterday Andrew received the max dose of the Ukrain injection (20ml) which they will continue at that dose every other day until treatment is complete.

Andrew's strep throat culture came back negative so he stopped taking the antibiotics. The only other explanation for his reddened, white patched mouth is thrush. He'll take 4 days of an anti-fungal pill as well as an anti-fungal swish and swallow. Andrew's sodium is still low, so the more he drinks the more he pushes fluid out of his cells and essentially dehydrates himself. He will have to just take sips of liquids and suck on lemon drops. His kidneys look great, so that's good news.

Our sister Martha is visiting him today and she said he seems to be having a good day.

Happy Weekending!