Derek’s maternal grandpa paid him a special visit Thursday! What a fabulous treat! Welcome back to New England gramps, sorry it’s so silly chilly these days.
On the update front:
- Derek’s bilirubin is down to 16! Woo hoo! That’s super terrific news. His skin color is really getting back to normal.
- His doctors mentioned Thursday morning that a few livers have come down the pike, but they’ve all been blood type A. Not surprising really, considering A+ is the 2nd most common blood type after O+. I’m no expert in statistics, but it would seem that some Os should be on the way soon. (As a reminder Derek needs an O or a B blood type liver. Rh (+ or -) is not relevant when it comes to organ donation.)
- Thursday afternoon while I was visiting, his doctors made additional rounds and mentioned that he does not have a UTI, which is great news. The bad news is that he is still having pain in his side. The doctors theorize that it could be due to compensation. The pain is on the opposite side from his incision, and so it is possible that he has suffered a muscle strain because he is ‘splinting’ his good side. It could also be the remnants of C.Diff being the jerky jerk of an infection that it is. They are thinking of trying a localized pain patch to deal with his discomfort. He is also planning on taking it a little easy for awhile. His nurses joke that when they come in the room they’ve caught him doing advanced yoga poses.
- The doctors are also coming up with a plan for a non-habit forming, effective, sleep medication/cocktail so Derek can get some solid, bleeping, sleep. They peppered him with questions and then came up with a plan. I think this in depth line of questioning from the docs was due in large part to Derek’s frank conversations with his LICSW about his lack of sleep and the toll it’s taking on him. The more sleep he gets, the better off he’ll be. I think his LICSW has been pressing the docs to come up with a good plan, hence the battery of questions.
- Derek and I played a few rounds of gin and I managed to win one game. I felt victorious!
- I cornered the docs in the hallway on my way to the bathroom to have them look at the rash I’ve acquired from the steri strips. It was just like old times, me lifting my shirt up and 3 men crowding around to take a look. They said it did look irritated, but that the incision looked spectacular and not to worry, the rash would clear up soon. When I told them I was on the way to the bathroom, they all said, “Oh good! Going to the bathroom is great!” Sheesh. Doctors are so freaking obsessed with people going to the bathroom. But, I’m a people pleaser, so of course I gave them a wink and a finger shooter and said, “I go ALL the time now. Perfectly regular.” What. A. Ham.
That’s all the news for now. Keep those fingers crossed for an O or B liver!
The Derek Janiak Hepatobiliary Forum 
I like to keyboard the whole phrase “Laughing Out Loud” to emphasize that is exactly what happened here in downtown Delray Beach area when Logan eloquently described her encounter with her doc…lifting her “shirt” and the like. There’s, minimum, an e-book brewing here. I’d pay American money to have an dual autographed copy. Oh yeah! sQs mit love.
“Next week, Derek’s guests include Jon Hamm, Rupaul and whichever members of the cast of ‘Glee’ that aren’t feuding at the moment!”
I am glad you had a special visitor. I am sure he was glad to see you looking better. We r pulling for you. Jenn
Where was I to tell you, “Logan, keep your shirt down?” (Really, Logan, your incision doesn’t go up THAT high…)
Hi, Gramps!!
Liver Donors Gone Wild? I was discreet. Sheesh, people.
Does the rash itch? Are you engaging your special scratching powers? Be careful, young jedi.
For Gregg: Logan, itch your scratch!!
It’s really weird: it does and it doesn’t. Many of the nerve endings around the incision are still a little numb so there are sections that I can’t feel anything, but other spots where it itches a lot! I’ve caught myself a couple of times absentmindedly scratching the side of my stomach, slowly creeping towards the middle…then I stop abruptly, just before I get to the scary spot that shall not be scratched!
p.s. gramps is so awesome.
Gramp’s advice for newlyweds and successful marriage: “Go Deaf Early.”