Joseph heading into the cath lab for a procedure; underlying condition still unresolved but some progress made in other areas; Olivia and the kids all have influenza a and are recovering; chemo will be next week
Today Joseph is undergoing a procedure to insert a catheter into his heart so they can check his blood pressure and veins. This is one of the recommendations from the Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia. The goal is to investigate Joseph’s blood pressure and check that his pulmonary band is working. Also to see if they can help his leaking issue by working on veins.
It is estimated that the procedure may take up to 2 hours, most of that time used to gain access because Joseph has clots and limited access sites. We pray for a successful procedure and no complications.
Even though the underlying issue of the chyle and lymphatic system has not been resolved, the pd catheter procedure he received a couple weeks ago has become a site for controlled release of fluid that continues to build up in his abdomen. Joseph has been much more comfortable, needing less pain and sedation medication and having a good balance of awake and rest time. The overall swelling of his head and limbs and abdomen has decreased, he is taking some feeds through his feeding tube, and he is currently off blood pressure medications.
It has been a joy to see him look around to identify the sources of the sounds he hears. We continue to play him music, talk to him, and pray with him.
Last week, Olivia and the kids all came down with the flu. Olivia visited the ER because she came down with a fever. After doing all the blood work, we learned that overall her levels for everything are within the normal range – especially the WBCs and neutrophil levels. However, she tested positive for influenza a (h1n1) and two of the tests showed infection so she was given medication to manage those. Her chemotherapy will be moved to next week to give her body time to heal and also to ensure she is not a source of infection when she goes into the Cross Cancer Institute. We thank everyone for the continued support and prayers. We would appreciate prayers for good discernment as we continue our journey here in Edmonton.